US-based AI company selected to develop hypersonic missile tracking software

News, US February 20, 2024 , by IRIA No Comments

The United States Space Development Agency (SDA) has chosen EpiSci, a California-based artificial intelligence company, to develop cutting-edge AI-powered software that detects hypersonic missiles in flight from space.

Hypersonic missiles move at velocities of Mach 5 or greater, equivalent to five times the speed of sound, making it almost impossible for any of the existing defense systems to detect and counter. For this reason, the Space Development Agency (SDA), a division of the U.S. Space Force, has come up with a whole new strategy to counter the threat that modern-day hypersonic missiles pose.

SDA is constructing a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit. The objective is to establish a comprehensive system for worldwide detection, alerting, monitoring, and targeting of sophisticated missile threats.

Up to 100 satellites are expected to integrate into this network. Several of the satellites have been placed in low earth orbit using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket while the remaining constellation will also be completed very soon in the coming months.

This constellation includes the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) developed by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the SDA Tranche 0 (T0) Tracking Layer satellites. Collectively, they signify a significant leap forward in surveillance capabilities.

*^{SDA successfully launched the final four SDA T0 Tracking Layer satellites from SpaceX rocket on February 14, 2024. (Image Credit: Space Development Agency/via Twitter)}*

Apart from deploying satellites, the SDA requires sophisticated software capable of analyzing the data gathered by these sensors. This software must discern targets amidst the atmospheric clutter of objects.

That is what EpiSci hopes to accomplish under the $1.6 million two-year Small Business Innovation Research Phase 2 contract from SDA. The company will test its AI-powered software against data collected by low Earth orbit sensors to identify and track hypersonic threats.

Technical director at EpiSci, Samuel Hess said that the biggest challenge for developing such advanced software would be maintaining “custody” of these fast-moving targets across vast distances. This requires collaboration between multiple satellites and precise tracking algorithms.

“As the hypersonic target maneuvers in flight, it’s moving through different camera images, so how do you communicate that across the whole realm of satellites?” he said. “That’s something that we need to work out.”

To demonstrate the efficacy of its hypersonic missile detection software, the company will use Raytheon’s missile defense simulators. It will start with data from just one satellite and gradually add more. “Raytheon’s simulation is extremely powerful. So, they can simulate multiple satellites, and provide us video feeds from what that would look like,” Hess explained.

*^{Raytheon Hypersonic weapons graphic. (Image Credit: Raytheon)}*

A statement released by EpiSci said that “at Mach 10, a hypersonic weapon can reach the U.S. homeland in less than an hour. As emerging threats continue to push the bounds of flight speeds, the Department of Defense is increasing demands to maintain superior counter technologies, including the ability to detect, track, and classify hypersonic targets for its early warning defense systems.”

EpiSci is a software company that develops next-generation, tactical autonomy solutions for national security problems. EpiSci’s autonomy software is technology agnostic, operationally informed, tactically relevant, and has piloted swarms of uncrewed aerial systems and tactical fighter aircraft. Additional applications include crewed-uncrewed teaming for air dominance, cognitive sensors, networks for advanced communications systems, and battle management command and control for informed decision-making.