GBOSS forms part of the Ground-based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance (GEODSS) system, which is key to the Space Surveillance Network mission. The White Sands upgrade is now complete, while a second upgrade at the Maui site in Hawaii is currently in its integrated testing phase and will transition to GBOSS upon operational approval.
“The GBOSS upgrade represents a leap forward in capability for the joint warfighter,” said Colonel Barry Croker, Commander of SpOC Mission Delta 2 – Space Domain Awareness. “This upgrade further enhances the SDA data Mission Delta 2 Guardians provide to inform decision making, orient fires and enable maneuvers across all military service domains.”
Originally deployed in the 1980s, the system’s modernisation was considered critical by Space Operations Command and Space Systems Command. GBOSS enhances the precision and speed of detecting and tracking objects in space, increasing revisit rates, capacity, and sensitivity.
These improvements also strengthen integration with commercial data, allowing the Space Force to meet Space Domain Awareness (SDA) demands more efficiently while reducing long-term maintenance costs. Ground-based optical sensors like those in GBOSS are essential for monitoring objects above 10,000 kilometres in altitude.
“Space Systems Command is excited to deliver the first system upgrade under the GBOSS program,” said Shannon Pallone, SSC Program Executive Officer for Battle Management, Command, Control, Communication, and Space Intelligence. “The small team, comprised of acquirers, operators and contractors, demonstrated a strong technical understanding of requirements, skillful program management, and seamless execution of this major system upgrade. We look forward to another seamless installation in Maui.”
The U.S. Space Force continues to prioritise investments in systems such as GBOSS to improve operational awareness in the space domain. These enhancements help ensure military readiness and the ability to respond swiftly and effectively to emerging threats in orbit.
