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AI company Slingshot Aerospace wins contract to coordinate space traffic
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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.

Slingshot Aerospace Awarded NOAA Contract to Develop Presentation Layer for the Traffic Coordination System for Space

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