"[O]n the ops floor, [ATLAS is] generating a catalog — it's publishing data to Space-track.org They're using that as a primary system," Space Systems Command's Shannon Pallone said in an exclusive interview.
Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, who is the Department of the Air Force acting head for space acquisition, said the OCX ground system for GPS satellites has now made it through testing of 97 percent of its requirements.
Drawing on Breaking Defense's TechNet Cyber 2026 coverage, this eBook examines how the Pentagon is advancing AI, cybersecurity, and cyber strategy to strengthen the future force.
"The integration testing continues to go well," Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant told reporters at the Space Force Association's Spacepower 2024 conference in Orlando, Fla. — expressing optimism that ATLAS will meet his expectations for achieving operational capability by the end of next year.
"I'm not criticizing ATLAS, but on the record, if it doesn't get there on time, I'm gonna find an alternative, because that's why I exist," Space RCO Director Kelly Hammett told Breaking Defense.
Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant told Breaking Defense that the long-troubled effort to upgrade the C2 system for space domain awareness is making progress — with the ATLAS software due to become operational "at the end of next year."
"By breaking down barriers between government, coalition, and commercial space situational awareness data, CODA allows us to create a tailored, operations-relevant understanding that directly informs tactical fires and maneuver decisions,” said Col. Raj Agrawal, Space Operations Command Delta 2 commander.
While humans must stay in the loop for kinetic decisions, empowering drones to operate autonomously is a force multiplier.
Space Force hopes to finally be able to ditch this year its "old clunker" SPADOC computer system for managing space surveillance data.