Atlas is the Space Force’s next-generation command-and-control system for space operations. L3Harris said the upgrades are intended to increase capability while maintaining the operational performance needed for continuous mission support.
“When our warfighters depend on space capabilities for communications, navigation and intelligence, we can’t afford blind spots,” said Jeff Hanke, President, Space Systems, L3Harris. “This technology gives them the situational awareness needed to operate with confidence and responsiveness to threats before they become crises.”
One major upgrade involves the U.S. government’s renovation of Mission Processing System infrastructure at Naval Support Facility Dahlgren in Virginia. The work will integrate Atlas with cloud-based architecture, extend mission capabilities to the East Coast and double user capacity.
Under U.S. Space Force Combat Forces Command’s Mission Delta 2 – Space Domain Awareness, the 19th Space Defense Squadron’s Atlas upgrade at Dahlgren is scheduled for early 2027. L3Harris said the site will become part of geographically distributed space operations connected by high-speed networks with the 18th Space Defense Squadron at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The company said the arrangement will improve mission assurance through geographic redundancy and lower latency for East Coast decision-makers. If one site is disrupted, operations can continue without capability degradation for warfighters, according to L3Harris.
A second enhancement is focused on Five Eyes data sharing, with delivery anticipated in the first quarter of 2027. L3Harris said the secure system will allow Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States to exchange critical space domain awareness data in real time.
The capability is intended to automate sharing of space object tracking data, conjunction warnings and anomaly detections. L3Harris said this will replace current manual processes and support faster information exchange among the partner nations.
The third enhancement is a dedicated Test, Training and Exercise environment for realistic operator training. The system will serve both 18th and 19th Space Defense Squadron operations and will use historical and synthetic data to support modular scenarios, crew certification and complex scenario generation.
L3Harris said operators will be able to train on multi-event scenarios involving satellite anomalies, conjunction warnings and possible counter-space activity without disrupting real-world missions. The company said the TTX system will eventually migrate to a classified domain.
L3Harris said Atlas development is being managed through a balanced approach split between sustainment and enhancement. Half of the effort is focused on system availability, cybersecurity and keeping pace with evolving threats, while the other half supports optimization work such as algorithm refinement, improved workflows, expanded data fusion and integration of new sensor feeds.
Atlas replaced the Cold War-era Space Defense Operations Center system, known as SPADOC. L3Harris said the newer system provides updated user interfaces, greater processing capacity and improved ability to manage the rapidly growing catalog of space objects.
The system now serves as the operational backbone for space surveillance across all orbital regimes. It integrates data from ground-based radars, optical sensors and space-based surveillance systems into a comprehensive operational picture.
L3Harris said Atlas’ cloud-based and modular architecture allows it to evolve with emerging threats. The company said this includes the ability to integrate new sensors, incorporate artificial intelligence and machine learning, and adapt to changing operational concepts.
The Mission Processing System currently operated by the 19th Space Defense Squadron at Dahlgren processes missile warning and space surveillance data. L3Harris said integrating it with Atlas is an important step toward a unified modern space operations architecture.
The company said the upgrades matter because space operations are becoming more congested and contested. It said Five Eyes integration reflects the shared nature of the space environment, where debris-generating events can affect assets from multiple nations.
L3Harris said cloud architecture will provide scalability as the space catalog grows and will improve resilience through geographic distribution. The company said the training environment will help operators prepare for split-second decisions involving complex data from many sensors and thousands of space objects.
As the 2027 deliveries approach, L3Harris said the enhancements will continue Atlas’ shift from a SPADOC replacement to a system supporting distributed, collaborative and continuously learning space operations. The company said the goal is to help the United States and its allies maintain the awareness, understanding and decision-making speed needed to protect vital space capabilities in an increasingly competitive domain.
