German Space Agency Selects LM iSpace System for Space Situational Awareness

To obtain real-time awareness of the more than 300,000 objects orbiting the earth, the German Space Agency at DLR (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt / German Aerospace Center) has selected Lockheed Martin’s (NYSE: LMT) iSpaceTM command and control system. The iSpace system tracks thousands of objects orbiting the earth by collecting data from a worldwide network of government, commercial and scientific community surveillance sensors.

The German Space Agency at DLR is the national space agency for the Federal Republic of Germany and operates the German Space Situational Awareness Center (GSSAC) together with the German Air Force. iSpace is the newest upgrade of the experimental mission system and will interface to German sensors to include the Tracking and Imaging Radar, GSSAC Optical Sensor and German Experimental Surveillance and Tracking Radar. iSpace will be used to task German sensors to support monitoring of high interest objects and space events.

“No other system offers real-time catalog maintenance, space event processing, and sensor tasking in a highly scalable processing infrastructure for such a variety of sensors,” said Amr Hussein, vice president, Lockheed Martin C4ISR Systems. “For those looking to enhance their space command and control capabilities, iSpace is a compelling solution as it can be rapidly deployed and dynamically configured to meet individual customer mission needs.”

The iSpace system provides real-time awareness on what is happening in space (e.g., collisions, maneuvers, break-ups, launches), alerts operators of anomalies, and suggests recommended courses of action.

Operationally fielded since 2017, Lockheed Martin leveraged its 50-plus year legacy in space command and control systems to develop iSpace. This heritage includes the first satellite detection and tracking system that used a network of space-probing cameras and radar to predict satellite behavior in the 1960s.

iSpace has supported several U.S. Strategic Command Global Sentinel exercises, which provide an international forum to broaden mutual understanding to enhance space cooperation. iSpace is also integrated with other Lockheed Martin capabilities to provide end-to-end space protection solutions for our customers. For example:

• Components of iSpace serve as a space situational awareness and sensor planning system for battle management applications to ensure the survivability and continuity of U.S. space systems.
• Our iSpace expertise was leveraged when Lockheed Martin developed the space situational awareness mission subsystem for the U.S. Air Force’s Space Fence, which provides detection, tracking and accurate measurement of space objects, including satellites and orbital debris, primarily in low-earth orbit.