Artificial intelligence and aerospace technology company Slingshot Aerospace has secured a significant government contract to develop a crucial component of the United States’ new space safety coordination system.
Key contract details: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Space Commerce has awarded Slingshot Aerospace a $13.3 million contract to build the TraCSS user interface.
- The contract includes a 12-month initial development period worth $5.3 million, with four additional option years
- Slingshot will leverage its existing space traffic coordination software, Slingshot Beacon, to develop the TraCSS Presentation Layer
- The project will be supported by partners COMSPOC and T and T Consulting Services
Project significance: The TraCSS platform represents a critical step in managing the increasingly crowded orbital environment and ensuring space safety.
- The system will serve as the primary interface for coordinating space traffic and issuing collision warnings for over 10,000 active satellites currently in orbit
- Satellite operators have experienced a 17% year-over-year increase in potential collision scenarios
- Projections indicate up to 100,000 active satellites could be in orbit by 2030, highlighting the urgent need for advanced traffic coordination
Implementation timeline: The TraCSS.gov platform is being developed as part of a broader transition of space traffic management responsibilities.
- The system is expected to go online in late 2025
- It will replace space-track.org as the primary platform for commercial users
- The transition follows Space Policy Directive 3 (2018), which shifted traffic coordination duties from the Department of Defense to the Office of Space Commerce
Technical capabilities: The TraCSS system represents a modern approach to space traffic management and safety.
- The platform will operate as a cloud-based IT system providing essential space situational awareness
- It will deliver conjunction data messages to alert operators about potential satellite collisions
- The system will serve civil, commercial, academic, and national security satellite operators worldwide
Looking ahead: While the development of TraCSS marks a significant advancement in space traffic management, its success will ultimately depend on global adoption and the ability to scale with the rapidly growing satellite population. The platform’s implementation comes at a crucial time as the space industry faces unprecedented growth in satellite deployments and increasing risks of orbital collisions.
Recent Stories
DOE fusion roadmap targets 2030s commercial deployment as AI drives $9B investment
The Department of Energy has released a new roadmap targeting commercial-scale fusion power deployment by the mid-2030s, though the plan lacks specific funding commitments and relies on scientific breakthroughs that have eluded researchers for decades. The strategy emphasizes public-private partnerships and positions AI as both a research tool and motivation for developing fusion energy to meet data centers' growing electricity demands. The big picture: The DOE's roadmap aims to "deliver the public infrastructure that supports the fusion private sector scale up in the 2030s," but acknowledges it cannot commit to specific funding levels and remains subject to Congressional appropriations. Why...
Oct 17, 2025Tying it all together: Credo’s purple cables power the $4B AI data center boom
Credo, a Silicon Valley semiconductor company specializing in data center cables and chips, has seen its stock price more than double this year to $143.61, following a 245% surge in 2024. The company's signature purple cables, which cost between $300-$500 each, have become essential infrastructure for AI data centers, positioning Credo to capitalize on the trillion-dollar AI infrastructure expansion as hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's xAI rapidly build out massive computing facilities. What you should know: Credo's active electrical cables (AECs) are becoming indispensable for connecting the massive GPU clusters required for AI training and inference. The company...
Oct 17, 2025Vatican launches Latin American AI network for human development
The Vatican hosted a two-day conference bringing together 50 global experts to explore how artificial intelligence can advance peace, social justice, and human development. The event launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development and established principles for ethical AI governance that prioritize human dignity over technological advancement. What you should know: The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Vatican's research body for social issues, organized the "Digital Rerum Novarum" conference on October 16-17, combining academic research with practical AI applications. Participants included leading experts from MIT, Microsoft, Columbia University, the UN, and major European institutions. The conference...