The United States Space Force’s deep-space radar recently achieved a key testing milestone by using seven of its antennas to track multiple satellites in orbit from a site in Western Australia.
The Deep-Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC), is a ground-based system built by Northrop Grumman in partnership with Australia and the United Kingdom under the AUKUS security partnership that also includes the U.S. Once fully deployed, DARC will consist of three sites positioned around the globe to watch activity in geosynchronous orbit — where the satellite’s orbital period matches that of Earth — about 35,000 kilometers above the planet’s surface.
The latest demonstration took place at DARC Site-1 in Western Australia and was part of the system’s integration and testing phase. Engineers combined seven of the planned 27 parabolic dish antennas into a single array, proving that individual dishes can work together to create the equivalent of a much larger radar with enhanced sensitivity and range.
The array successfully tracked multiple satellites during weeks of data collection, analysis and calibration, said Kevin Giammo, Northrop Grumman’s director of space surveillance and environmental intelligence. “Each of those parabolic dishes have a certain amount of capability on their own, but as you are able to make these dishes work together as a set of arrays, what you’re really doing is you are creating the equivalent of a very large radar with immense capabilities,” Giammo said in a company news release.
Unlike traditional optical sensors, which can be hindered by cloud cover or daylight, DARC’s advanced technology can detect satellites around the clock, providing global coverage of the geostationary belt. It is designed to detect very small objects in geosynchronous orbit to protect critical U.S. and Allied satellite services from space debris or hostile maneuvers.
Beyond tracking satellites, DARC may also play a role in broader defense missions as the system could contribute to strategic deterrence. Its high-precision tracking systems could be used to provide overwatch to communications satellites that provide command and control of U.S. nuclear assets — systems that are vulnerable to both space debris and attacks.
“The completed DARC system will enhance our space domain awareness enterprise architecture by adding a critical element,” U.S. Space Force Brig. Gen. Chandler Atwood, deputy commander of Space Operations Command, said in a U.S. Space Force news release. “DARC will ensure the U.S., its Allies, and partners can effectively characterize the movement of objects traveling in, from and to space, allowing us to mitigate the risk of debris-causing events that could hold the world’s space-enabled capabilities at risk. Increased space domain awareness will also bolster our vital ability to attribute malign activity from irresponsible actors in the space domain when and if necessary.”