The Satellite Dashboard is a web-based tool that will collate and analyze space situational awareness (SSA) data on specific activities of interest and present it in an accessible format, while also providing a queuing function for further technical analysis. The Dashboard collates data from multiple sources, including publicly-available data provided by the U.S. military, commercial SSA providers, and data provided by international, scientific, and academic sources. 

Satellite Dashboard is a collaboration between the Secure World Foundation (SWF), the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at the University of Texas at Austin.

This project was initiated because the number of actors and types of activities that rely on space is rapidly and dramatically increasing. More countries than ever are investing in counterspace capabilities that will enable them to deceive, disrupt, deny, degrade, or destroy space systems of potential adversaries, including the United States. While our ability to understand the space environment, characterize and attribute actions, track the behavior of space objects, and detect threats has improved over time, this space situational awareness information is extremely technical in nature and difficult to aggregate and comprehend, especially for policymakers and media. Strategic stability in the space domain that enhances U.S. national security requires an enhanced understanding of space activities and potential threats so that decision makers are empowered to make sound policy choices, collaborate with allies and partners, deter adversaries, and communicate to the public. 

The goal of the Satellite Dashboard is to create that enhanced, common understanding. Our hope is that policymakers, space experts, commercial industry, and the media will be able to use the Dashboard as a reference to better understand potentially destabilizing activities in space in a way that supports informed decision-making and open dialogue.

Credits

Much hard work has gone into the creation and maintenance of this site. We would like to extend our gratitude to everyone involved. This project would not be possible without contributions, assistance, and insights provided by the following people and organizations.

The main design and implementation team consisted of:

  • Vivek Desai, University of Texas at Austin
  • Tucker Harris, Center for Strategic and International Studies
  • Todd Harrison, Center for Strategic and International Studies
  • Dr. Moriba Jah, University of Texas at Austin
  • Kaitlyn Johnson, Center for Strategic and International Studies
  • Thomas G. Roberts, Center for Strategic and International Studies
  • Jacque Schrag, Center for Strategic and International Studies
  • Nevan Simone, University of Texas at Austin
  • Bob Walker, Center for Strategic and International Studies
  • Dr. Brian Weeden,  Secure World Foundation
  • Makena Young, Center for Strategic and International Studies

Additional administrative and technical support was critical to implement the Satellite Dashboard vision from:

  • Sam Addison, Find Satellites
  • Tiffany Chow
  • Ali Corwin, Center for Strategic and International Studies
  • Rebecka Shirazi, Center for Strategic and International Studies

Development & Design

This digital feature is a product of the Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab, the in-house digital, multimedia, and design agency at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Produced by: Jonathan Choi, Mariel de la Garza, Christina Hamm, Tucker Harris, José Romero, Jacque Schrag, Lindsay Urchyk, Bob Walker.

Funding

The Satellite Dashboard was made possible by a grant from the Smith Richardson Foundation

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License

This work is licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0) Liscense.