The U.S. Space Force has formally approved the Advanced Tracking and Launch Analysis System (ATLAS) – a software-driven program for managing, processing, and sharing space monitoring data – for operational use.
ATLAS is designed to provide enhanced situational awareness and improve decision-making in an increasingly contested space environment.
The system is expected to eventually replace the decades-old Space Defense Operations Center (SPADOC), which has been used to track satellites, spacecraft, and hazardous space debris even after nearly two decades of failed replacement efforts, by providing a modernized and integrated platform to support space operations centers.
“This achievement, driven by agile development, delivers a force multiplier that significantly enhances our ability to rapidly detect and respond to emerging threats,” Lt. Col. Amber Johnson, commander of the 2nd Sustainment Squadron under Space Operations Command’s Mission Delta 2, said in a press release.
The operational acceptance follows a period of capability testing and performance assessment, demonstrating ATLAS’s readiness to meet current and future mission demands.
ATLAS was developed through a collaboration between the Space Force Program Executive Office for Battle Management, Command, Control, Communications, and Space Intelligence (SFPEO BMC3I); Space Systems Command (SSC); and Space Operations Command (SpOC).
“ATLAS enables our Guardians to learn, understand, and execute operations more rapidly in highly complex space domain awareness operations,” said Lt. Col. Laurel Jodice, commander of the 18th Space Defense Squadron. “SDA is fundamental to all U.S. Space Force operations, and advancements like ATLAS keep our focus ahead of evolving threats in the space domain.”
The system’s lifecycle will be managed by SFPEO BMC3I, while Mission Delta 2 will operate and sustain the platform, continuing to adapt it to evolving space threats.
Officials emphasized that the development and deployment of ATLAS reflect a broader organizational shift toward rapid fielding, adaptability, and mission-focused innovation.