General Atomics is under contract to Advanced Space to build a satellite, perform payload integration and help test a space vehicle for Oracle.
In November, AFRL awarded a contract to Colorado-based Advanced Space to demonstrate “space situational awareness, object detection and tracking in the region of the moon, supporting a resurgence of interest in lunar exploration and development across civil, commercial and international space agencies,” the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base-headquartered lab said at the time.
Oracle will seek to detect and track objects in the region of the moon, demonstrating spacecraft positioning and navigation techniques far beyond geosynchronous Earth orbit, about 200,000 miles from Earth.
“On-orbit capability to generate greater space situational awareness has wide application as space exploration and efforts to return to the moon continue to accelerate,” said Scott Forney, president of General Atomics. “We are proud to be part of Advanced Space’s world- class Oracle mission team, which includes Leidos, a leading space sensor technology provider.”
The anticipated launch date for the Oracle spacecraft is late 2025. General Atomics told the Dayton Daily News the company will perform work tied to this contract at its existing satellite and space systems facilities, including its Centennial, Colo. location.
“Our GA-500 bus is part of an expanding portfolio of configurable, flight-proven ESPA-class satellites offering customers greater versatility to launch missions rapidly and efficiently into space,” said Gregg Burgess, vice president of General Atomics Space Systems. “We look forward to delivering a tailored, rad-hardened Oracle spacecraft capable of operating in the very challenging cislunar space environment.”
The Oracle spacecraft will operate about 200,000 miles from Earth, AFRL has said. Compare that distance to the current Space Surveillance Network, which has sensors on Earth or in traditional orbits, tracking satellites within distances of 36,000 kilometers, or 22,369 miles.
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