Overview
The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), in partnership with the U.S. Space Forces-Indo-Pacific (USSPACEFOR-INDOPAC) and the Space Domain Awareness (SDA) Tools, Applications, & Processing (TAP) Lab and support from India’s Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), are executing a prize challenge focused on detecting and tracking satellites in low earth orbit (LEO) in contested environments.
This event seeks to identify companies capable of developing algorithms to dynamically track satellites attempting to evade detection in near real-time over the INDOPACOM area of responsibility. The bilateral challenge will culminate in a virtual pitch event in February 2025 and is part of the INDUS-X initiative to continue to vitalize the U.S.-India defense industrial cooperation.
A team of subject matter experts will evaluate applicants and select up to 10 companies as finalists for participation in the virtual Pitch Day in February 2025. A total of $150,000 in awards will be distributed among the top-performing company or companies selected from the pool of finalists.
Problem Statement
As competitors and adversaries proliferate LEO with military force enhancements and weapon systems, it is in the best interest of U.S. INDOPACOM and allies/partners to quickly detect, track and identify these satellites. We assume competitors and adversaries will attempt to stifle our efforts to maintain custody of these satellites by implementing some form of camouflage, concealment, deception, or maneuver. In a contested environment, we will need to rapidly search for and track objects which are attempting to evade detection and tracking. Failure to rapidly reacquire threats on-orbit leaves us vulnerable to attack. Given this context, develop an algorithm to dynamically detect and track satellites in LEO transiting over the INDOPACOM area of responsibility (AOR) which may have recently maneuvered.
Context:
The challenge is to rapidly reacquire maneuvering satellites that may be attempting to evade detection within a contested space environment.
To take on this challenge, participants may aggregate and integrate data from publicly available or privately obtained resident space object (RSO) observation, state or weather data.
While your model may consume data from any number of sources, we provide a potentially useful static dataset data source, neutral atmospheric density. The use of this dataset is not required; however, it may be useful. For details about this data, please refer to the accompanying README. Additionally, we provide source code examples to help participants get started with this data in its current format.
Disclaimer:
This dataset is made available under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) Public Domain Dedication as determined by National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Parties to this activity may freely build upon, enhance and reuse this data under these terms.
The SDA TAP Lab and affiliated U.S. companies do not create this data but instead provide an aggregation and access service for the convenience of companies participating in this activity.
Companies can access this data without needing to use SDA TAP Lab services.
Use at your own risk. Access to this data and the aggregation services provided by the SDA TAP Lab does not guarantee the performance of any algorithm developed by third parties.