LeoLabs has deployed a containerized 3D search radar capable of tracking satellites within hours of activation, marking a shift in how space domain awareness infrastructure can be rapidly fielded.
The system, Scout-S, combines 3D scanning, direct radiating array technology, and a modular S-band electronic architecture.
This enables it to search for, discover, and persistently track high-interest objects across low Earth orbit and very low Earth orbit without prior targeting cues.
During a single orbital pass, Scout-S extends observation windows from seconds to several minutes, giving operators greater insight into object behavior for more informed operational decisions.
The system’s search-to-track and track-while-scan modes support dynamic detection and tracking, including of unannounced launches.
Housed in a standard 20-foot (6.1-meter) ISO container, the system can be transported by land, sea, or air and reconstituted in contested environments.
LeoLabs plans to extend Scout-S beyond space surveillance into missile warning, tracking, and multi-domain awareness missions.
“The threat has changed and so should the architecture,” said Tony Frazier, CEO of LeoLabs.
“The acceleration of adversarial activity in space is challenging US and Allied Space Superiority. Tracking objects periodically to predict orbits is no longer enough … Scout-S was built to support that mission — bringing a new level of scalability, resiliency, and proliferation to space sensing.”
Tracking China Satellites
In a recent deployment, LeoLabs has positioned the radar in the Indo-Pacific region to track Chinese satellites.
Early operations have included tracking of Chinese Yaogan military reconnaissance satellites operating at altitudes between 800 and 1,000 kilometers (497 and 621 miles).
It has also maintained continuous tracking of China’s spaceplane and detected an object at an altitude of 230 kilometers (143 miles).
The deployment is backed partly by a US Space Force Tactical Funding Increase award and private investment.
