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Earlier this year, the inaugural of two space domain awareness (SDA) payloads, named the QZS6-HP1, was launched from Tanegashima, Japan. Recently, that payload gathered its initial imaging data, a moment referred to as first light. Funded by the United States Space Force (USSF), MIT Lincoln Laboratory conceived, constructed, and delivered the two payloads as part of a U.S. and Japanese collaboration program called the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System Hosted Payload (QZSS-HP). The initiative showcases a mutual commitment to enhancing space collaborations in accordance with both allies’ national space strategies and contributes to integrated deterrence as well as global security. Throughout the initiative, Lincoln Laboratory collaborated closely with the USSF, Japan’s National Space Policy Secretariat, and Mitsubishi Electric Corp.

In recent decades, satellite launches globally have consistently risen as governments and private commercial entities commence and advance their space-related endeavors, leading to a more congested space arena. Both the United States and Japan seek to strengthen SDA within the densely populated geosynchronous orbit (GEO) domain. This international initiative commenced in 2019 as a response to this requirement by integrating a U.S. SDA sensor with the ongoing Japanese QZSS program. The QZSS is Japan’s homegrown position, navigation, and timing space framework, intended for users in Japan and currently enhancing the U.S. Global Positioning System.

The USSF engaged Lincoln Laboratory for this initiative due to its substantial experience in crafting SDA sensors, especially for the ORS-5/SensorSat satellite, which was launched in 2017. SensorSat is a compact, cost-effective alternative to existing U.S. capabilities in identifying and tracking GEO satellites. The QZSS payloads utilize SensorSat’s compact optical architecture that enables their sensors to survey the sky passively with remarkable effectiveness. However, unlike SensorSat, which transmits its gathered data to ground systems for analysis, the laboratory’s QZSS payloads perform most of their data processing on-orbit. This alternate processing method decreases the size of the downlinked data by three orders of magnitude, establishing an enabling framework for bandwidth-limited missions.

“The payload’s passive scanning alleviates the burden on other SDA assets by providing ongoing surveillance, fostering a more resilient space framework,” asserts Ashley Long, Lincoln Laboratory’s program manager for QZSS-HP. These satellites will provide near-real-time information to the U.S. Space Surveillance Network.

The secondary QZSS payload has been integrated onto Japan’s QZS-7 satellite and is anticipated to launch in late 2025. For QZS6-HP1, the Lincoln Laboratory team is currently performing on-orbit evaluations.

Emily Clements, a deputy manager for the initiative, emphasizes that achieving the first-light milestone is a notable achievement. “For first light to be successful, every component of the system must function correctly, including the laboratory-developed sensor and the payload’s numerous supporting subsystems, as well as data interfaces with Japan and the U.S. ground systems that are receiving the data,” she states. “This moment epitomizes the culmination of years of dedication and international collaboration, paving the way for enhanced SDA monitoring of GEO.”

In the coming months, the Lincoln Laboratory team will fine-tune sensor parameters based on on-orbit data to optimize performance. The team will then continue to aid operations throughout the mission’s duration.

“Initially designed as a demonstration mission and a pathfinder for international cooperation, the QZSS-HP is set to deliver significant operational value for the United States,” Long remarks. “Additionally, the payload design has been handed over to the government, enabling the construction and delivery of similar payloads, thereby broadening the reach and efficacy of this mission.”

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