LeoLabs expands space safety coverage with new site in Argentina.

LeoLabs expands space safety coverage with new site in Argentina.
by Staff Writers
Menlo Park CA (SPX) Mar 14, 2023

LeoLabs the world's leading commercial provider of Space Situational Awareness (SSA) services and low Earth orbit (LEO) mapping, has announced Argentina as the site for its next space radar. The Argentina Space Radar (AGSR) represents a critical addition to LeoLabs growing global constellation of S-band, phased-array sensors strategically distributed across the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, as well as the polar and equatorial regions.

The AGSR site is located on the archipelago of Tierra del Fuego, just under 5,000 km from Antarctica. This site was chosen primarily for its high latitude, which is especially beneficial for monitoring high-risk conjunctions which typically occur above 60 degrees latitude.

The AGSR site will provide LeoLabs with better situational awareness in the Southern Hemisphere and lower positional uncertainties, resulting in more accurate and reliable conjunction data messages. The site, equipped with S-band technology, will also increase LeoLabs capacity to discover new objects, including lethal, small debris that are currently not cataloged.

This latest addition to LeoLabs' network of phased array space radars illustrates the company's efforts to geographically diversify its coverage in both latitude and longitude. This strategic diversification will improve its space safety services, which include collision avoidance for operators. When completed in late 2023, AGSR will grow LeoLabs' global network to include seven operational sites with plans to expand further in the coming year.

"It's a privilege to build this radar site in Argentina and contribute to this country's history of space exploration and stewardship. As our third radar site in the Southern Hemisphere and our first in South America, the Argentina site is critical to closing the global SSA gap in coverage and enhancing scrutiny of events happening over this part of the world.

This site will greatly improve our ability to track objects and monitor high-risk events in low Earth orbit," said LeoLabs CEO Dan Ceperley, "We are committed to our partners in Argentina and are eager to help support the space industry here and in South America more broadly."

"The choice of Argentina for the location of a new LeoLabs radar is great news," said Jorge Arguello, Ambassador of Argentina to the US, "Our Embassy prioritizes promoting this sector in all its trade promotion and investment attraction activities in Washington DC and, through our general consulates, throughout the United States.

"Our space sector is highly valued and the interaction of LeoLabs experts with our engineers has been virtuous and enriching. It is very important to address the issue of sustainability in the space sector, and this radar contributes to that regard."