Autonomous DARPA project to expand satellite surveillance network by BAE Systems

Written by Copernical Team Tuesday, 16 December 2025 10:07

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Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 11, 2025

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded BAE Systems' FAST Labs research, development, and production organization a $16 million Phase 2 contract under the Oversight program, which is developing an autonomous space-based system to maintain continuous custody of many terrestrial assets using new satellite constellations. The Phase 2 award follows completion of

by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 11, 2025

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded BAE Systems' FAST Labs research, development, and production organization a $16 million Phase 2 contract under the Oversight program, which is developing an autonomous space-based system to maintain continuous custody of many terrestrial assets using new satellite constellations.

The Phase 2 award follows completion of Phase 1, when BAE Systems software was integrated into a modeling and simulation environment to demonstrate custody missions with representative satellite and sensor models. In the second phase, the company will further develop its solution algorithms and test performance with larger constellations, more complex scenarios, and higher fidelity modeling and simulation environments, ahead of physical deployment on tactical-edge satellites and ground stations.

"Future mission requirements are pushing capabilities to the tactical edge," said Dr. Ben Cooper, senior principal scientist at BAE Systems' FAST Labs research organization. "In space, this means operating primarily on-board satellites. Through this program, we will help make the space domain more tactically relevant for warfighters."

Software and algorithms from the Oversight program are intended to run across proliferated, networked satellite constellations to deliver persistent surveillance at tactical timescales. Space-based coordination and on-orbit data processing are expected to cut latency and increase revisit rates, enabling near real-time tracking of targets.

The program aims to increase the scale, availability, and timeliness of space-derived information to improve situational awareness and speed decision-making for military users. The integrated system is being designed to support custody of many assets over wide areas, linking multiple satellites and ground systems.

Work will be performed at BAE Systems facilities in Burlington, Massachusetts, and Merrimack, New Hampshire, with technical contributions from subcontractor AIMdyn, Inc.