LeoLabs’ first Scout-S transportable radar was deployed in the
Indo-Pacific region as part of the company’s global radar network. Credit: LeoLabs
WASHINGTON — LeoLabs said June 10 it has deployed a mobile space-tracking radar in the Indo-Pacific region that is being used to monitor Chinese satellites and other spacecraft.
The California-based company said the new system, known as Scout-S, is tracking maneuvering spacecraft in low Earth orbit, including Chinese surveillance satellites and China’s reusable spaceplane. The deployment comes as U.S. defense officials place greater emphasis on maintaining continuous awareness of objects that can maneuver in orbit rather than simply tracking predictable satellite trajectories.
Scout-S is the first operational system in a planned family of transportable sensors that LeoLabs says can be rapidly deployed to locations where military operators need additional coverage. Unlike the company’s existing network of fixed radars, the new system is designed to fit inside a standard 20-foot shipping container and become operational shortly after arrival.
