The calibrated antenna arrays operated as a unified system, enabling precise tracking of multiple satellites. This milestone brings Site 1 closer to completion and full operational readiness. The trial involved using seven of the site's 27 antennas, proving technology designed to monitor spacecraft that may pose risks to U.S. and allied assets.
Over several weeks, the team conducted data collection, analysis, and calibration to validate operational performance. DARC is a trilateral initiative between the U.S., UK, and Australia, intended to deliver a global, all-weather capability for tracking small objects in geosynchronous orbit (GEO) to safeguard essential satellite services.
Once fully operational, the system will detect and follow objects moving in, toward, and away from GEO with exceptional accuracy, supporting rapid threat detection and response. Its design, which combines multiple antennas into a single functioning network, is central to the U.S. Space Force's Space Domain Awareness mission.
"Northrop Grumman's DARC will provide a strategic advantage at a scale never before achieved in global space domain awareness. Its ability to track multiple small moving objects over 22,000 miles above earth will offer unmatched persistent and comprehensive capability as the world's premier deep-space radar tracking system," said Kevin Giammo, director of Space Surveillance and Environmental Intelligence at Northrop Grumman.
DARC is engineered for continuous operation in all conditions, day or night, unaffected by cloud cover. The completed network will deliver uninterrupted global coverage to protect military and commercial satellites in GEO, offering capabilities beyond those of current optical systems.
Related Links
Northrop Grumman
Military Space News at SpaceWar.com
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