Why unknown objects are a major challenge in SSA/STM

Unknown objects are a primary source of uncertainty in SSA/STM because they degrade the reliability of conjunction assessments and decision-making: if an object cannot be confidently correlated to a catalogued entry, operators may face late, ambiguous, or conflicting risk estimates.

This can drive unnecessary avoidance manoeuvres, increase fuel and mission-planning costs, and complicate coordination across multiple spacecraft and stakeholders.

Rapid identification and classification also matters for security and sustainability: distinguishing debris from active payloads, characterizing abnormal behaviour, and updating orbital parameters quickly helps reduce collision risk, supports accountable operations, and improves the overall integrity of the space catalogue.

How Look Up reduces unknown objects with tracking and data fusion

Look Up helps reduce “unknowns” by detecting and tracking objects in LEO with SORASYS radars down to a few cm, with centimetric accuracy and delivering low-latency measurements that improve correlation, orbit determination, and re-identification after manoeuvres or fragmentations.

Through its SYNAPSE digital platform, Look Up fuses its own sensor data with external sources to catalogue and characterize objects, build comprehensive object ID cards, and issue real-time alerts within seconds/minutes for high-interest events.

This supports operators with actionable collision warnings and tailored manoeuvre recommendations, helping protect fleets/constellations and maintain a timely, accurate space picture.