Debris Watch is our permanent surveillance programme for low Earth orbit. Every tracked object above the atmosphere — from intact spacecraft to fragments a few centimetres across — is observed, identified and propagated forward in time, so that operators always know what is moving through their orbital shell.
- Catalogue maintenance from radar, optical and telemetry sources
- Covariance-aware orbit determination and propagation
- Fragmentation detection and characterisation within hours
- Live API and operations view for operator teams
Sensor fusion
Radar returns, ground-based optical observations and on-board telemetry are fused into a single state estimate per object. Each measurement carries its own uncertainty model, and our filters weight them accordingly instead of trusting a single source. The result is a catalogue that stays accurate even when individual sensors drop out or a station is clouded over.
Orbit determination and propagation
Refined orbits are propagated with high-fidelity force models that include atmospheric drag, solar radiation pressure, Earth gravity harmonics and third-body effects. Covariances are propagated alongside the state, so every projected trajectory comes with a realistic confidence volume rather than a single misleading point.
Fragmentation response
When a break-up event occurs, the programme switches into rapid-response mode: new fragments are detected, correlated and characterised within hours, and affected operators receive an immediate risk picture for their fleet.
Operator interface
Catalogue data, screening results and event notifications are delivered through an API and a live operations view, so mission control teams can act on the same data our analysts see, in real time.