Anduril's 590-kilometer satellite proves it can track spacecraft in Earth's shadow

Spacecraft can hide in the dark. For years, operators have struggled to track satellites when they enter Earth's shadow, a period where standard optical sensors fail. Anduril Industries announced on Tuesday that it has successfully demonstrated a new sensor that sees through that gap.

The company confirmed the success of the technology demonstration mission on its Anduril-216 satellite. The spacecraft orbits approximately 590 kilometers, or 366 miles, above Earth. During its orbital cycle, the satellite spends about one-third of its time in darkness. These night passes are when the new long-wave infrared imager performs its primary function.

Anduril-216 is an oven-sized satellite that launched in July on a SpaceX rideshare mission. The company funded the mission with internal capital. The satellite carried a package of technology demonstration payloads. These included an edge-compute processor, a power-management system, and the infrared sensor. The sensor is designed to detect other objects in orbit that are not visible to the naked eye or standard cameras.

Gokul Subramanian, Anduril’s senior vice president of engineering, explained the technical advantages of the device. He noted that the sensor provides imagery in long-wave infrared. Subramanian stated that the system has a huge dynamic range and very low solar exclusion. This means the sensor is rarely blocked by the Sun and can effectively see objects in full dark.

Current space surveillance relies on networks of radars and optical sensors located on the ground and in space. The US military and commercial data providers use these tools to monitor satellite traffic. However, optical tracking faces limitations when satellites enter Earth’s shadow. If a spacecraft performs a maneuver during orbital night, monitors may lose track of it until it returns to sunlight.

Adam Thurn, vice president and general manager of orbital systems at Anduril, emphasized the strategic importance of the new sensor. He pointed out that ground sensors are not currently located in adversaries’ sovereign lands. Thurn also noted that reliance on visible sensors is problematic during the eclipse period. Satellites not illuminated by the Sun cannot be seen by these systems. The long-wave infrared sensor is designed to close that specific gap.

The Space Force is responsible for tracking satellites for two primary reasons. Military commanders need to know if an adversary moves its satellite in a threatening manner. The Space Force also issues traffic alerts to global satellite operators when there is a risk of collision. Maintaining continuous visibility is essential for both mission planning and safety.

Anduril acquired ExoAnalytic Solutions, a commercial satellite-tracking company, earlier this year. The integration of this sensor into Anduril’s portfolio aims to combine commercial tracking data with advanced hardware capabilities. The successful demonstration validates a method for overcoming the visibility challenges associated with orbital night. The company now has a working prototype that detects maneuvers in the dark.