2024 Beyond the Horizon Air Show

Members of the U.S. Army Golden Knights descend from the sky during the Beyond the Horizon Air and Space Show at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. April 6, 2024. The air and space show boasted a variety of activities, including military and civilian aerial demonstrations, static display aircraft, and a STEM expo. Organized by Maxwell Air Force Base in collaboration with civilian partners and sponsors, the event aimed to celebrate the rich heritage of aviation while also providing an opportunity for the public to engage with the military community. (U.S. Air Force Photo Senior Master Sgt. Richard P. Ebensberger)

Space Situational Awareness

Published May 7, 2026
By SPOC/DOO & SPCO/2SWS/DOC

TOPIC SPONSORS: SPOC/DOO & SPCO/2SWS/DOC

Will space situational awareness continue to evolve in light of an increasingly congested cis-lunar space environment over the next several years? (SPOC/DOO) What are the impacts of the increased use of nanosatellites/microsatellites on space situational awareness and collision avoidance? (SPCO/2SWS/DOC)

Beauchamp, Maj. Torry S., "Cleaning up Space: Reducing Orbital Debris to Reduce Risk and Make Space Operations Safer," AFGC thesis, 2025, 36 pgs.
- Beauchamp notes that the shift toward smaller satellite constellations (like CubeSats) means far more payloads are released with each launch, exponentially increasing orbital congestion. This congestion severely impacts collision avoidance by increasing the sheer volume of objects that must be monitored. To evolve Space Situational Awareness (SSA) to handle this, he argues the military must fully embrace AI. Integrating AI into space surveillance will speed up data processing for collision avoidance, automate tracking tasks, and allow for the predictive analysis of irregular satellite behaviors to provide early warnings of potential threats.
Pambianchi, Major Johan and Major Jason Holt, "Advancing America's Space Characterization Ecosystem: An Organizational, Technological and Data-Driven Approach to Addressing Tomorrow's Space Conflicts," ACSC Paper, 2021, 118 pgs. PRIZE: Spaatz
- Also reprinted as a Fairchild Paper.