Space Domain Awareness (SDA) is the comprehensive knowledge of all objects and activities in the space environment, encompassing tracking of active satellites, debris, and potential threats. The U.S. Space Force operates the primary global space surveillance network, tracking over 40,000 objects, but commercial providers like LeoLabs, ExoAnalytic, and Slingshot Aerospace are building complementary sensor networks and analytics platforms.
SDA has grown from a purely governmental function to a commercial market driven by the explosion in orbital population. Collision avoidance, conjunction assessment, and space traffic management all depend on accurate SDA. Companies like True Anomaly are building spacecraft specifically designed for close-range inspection and characterization of objects in orbit, adding an RPO-based intelligence layer to traditional ground-based tracking.