ExoAnalytic Solutions

Once a canvas of our wildest dreams, space has transformed into a cosmic workshop where humanity’s boldest ideas take flight. As we venture beyond Earth’s atmosphere, we encounter challenges reminiscent of the early days of automobile travel when clear guidelines and traffic regulations were lacking.

“There are no established ‘rules of the road’ for space, and we’re navigating through a self-governing system. Thousands of satellites and pieces of debris orbit Earth, and a collision in space could be disastrous,” says Doug Hendrix, CEO of ExoAnalytic Solutions.

For the past 15 years, ExoAnalytic Solutions has been a key player in space domain awareness, dedicated to understanding the space environment along with the location and movement of satellites and debris orbiting Earth.

“Satellites used to come perilously close to one another sometimes, and this caught our attention,” explains William Therien, CTO and president of the commercial space sector. “We discovered that operators were often unaware of their proximity to neighboring satellites or debris. Recognizing the urgent need, we acquired our first telescope and focused our company’s direction accordingly.”

ExoAnalytic lends its expertise to satellite operators and space agencies by providing high-precision tracking and monitoring services, paving the way for a more secure and sustainable future in a crowded orbit.

The All-Seeing Eye

To be a vigilant sentinel of the celestial highway, you need an arsenal of precision technology, extensive data and a global network of observatories. ExoAnalytic has it all.

“That includes extensive data on spacecraft and debris, mainly objects in what is often referred to as deep space (apogees above 2000 kilometers). This allows ExoAnalytic to provide the most complete and accurate catalog of objects in deep space, ensuring the safety of critical satellite operations. By prioritizing high-risk areas like the GEO belt, we offer far more accurate and comprehensive tracking than public catalogs or individual telemetry can provide. This level of precision is crucial for maintaining flight safety, proximity operations and protecting valuable assets inspace, says Mark Jeffries, director of the ExoAnalytic Global Telescope Network.

Tailored Satellite Tracking Solutions

ExoAnalytic’s services range from basic to complex, designed to meet the diverse needs of satellite operators and space agencies. Customers can customize the services according to their requirements.

The most straightforward offering entails precise current location tracking using advanced algorithms, a network of ground-based sensors called the ExoAnalytic Global Telescope Network (EGTN) and AI/ML techniques. The EGTN, consisting of approximately 400 sensors, enables orbit updates with less than 100 meters of uncertainty. This reduces reliance on costly antenna systems and provides conjunction warnings up to 10 days in advance, allowing operators to plan satellite trajectories without the need for active maneuvers. This facilitates advanced planning and risk mitigation.

ExoAnalytic also works with operators who upload their maneuver plans, enabling it to assess and advise on potential conflicts or collisions based on these planned movements, maintaining operational safety.

“The information proves invaluable for satellite operators, governmental bodies and international partners, who rely on ExoAnalytic to discern not only the position of space objects but their behavior and any anomalies in their activities,” adds Brien Flewelling, director of strategic program development.

On the premium side of its services is comprehensive support for complex satellite operations, such as raising a low perigee eccentric orbit to geosynchronous Earth orbit via lowthrust electric propulsion.

Continuous, persistent observation captures minute details of spacecraft and their surroundings, including optically differentiating spacecraft at near and far ranges. High-resolution imagery is collected at every stage using strategically positioned telescopes to ensure full coverage.

“Tracking those satellites while they’re doing that circularization is very difficult. Since these transfer orbits are going on over long periods, the satellite is never where you expect to see it when you look a few hours later. With our telescopes, we can track it easily no matter where the satellite shows up,” says Clint Clark, CGO.

ExoAnalytic offers turnkey telescope systems which integrate their processing solutions for customers who wish to own and maintain their own hardware. Known as HARRIER (Highly mobile Autonomous Rapidly Relocatable Integrated Electro-optical Resources), its unique design enables a range of multiple-aperture search, detect, and track schemes optimized for each mission and environment.

HARRIER’S software synthesizes image data, matching the sensitivity, accuracy, and performance of custom-built 1-meter class telescopes, but with enhanced flexibility. “HARRIER represents a quantum leap in system performance per dollar as compared to monolithic optical systems with similar performance,” says Hendrix. “As a result, our customers can field more systems to achieve more complete coverage of the space domain on which they are focused.”

Walking the Talk

ExoAnalytic’s extensive track record and glowing customer testimonials are evidence of the efficacy of its services. Clients confidently rely on its solutions for critical space operations, citing superior accuracy, timeliness and enhanced situational awareness, surpassing the capabilities of publicly available catalogs.

A prime example is their pivotal role in supporting Northrop Grumman's Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) program where ExoAnalytic provided crucial space domain awareness data and analysis for the successful maneuver, rendezvous and docking with the IS-901 satellite.

The mission involved the MEV spacecraft docking with and providing propulsion to aging satellites with depleted fuel reserves. This extended the operational life of these satellites and repositioned them to capture new business opportunities in different orbital slots.

Throughout the MEV missions, both extension vehicles underwent low-thrust electric propulsion orbit-raising over several months, followed by weeks of complex rendezvous and proximity operations. ExoAnalytic supplied essential tracking data to guide the spacecraft to their target positions for successful docking maneuvers.

“We had to refine our processes to deliver the best possible product because the stakes are incredibly high when you’re tasked with grabbing another satellite”, says Eric Frisco, CMO.

The firm’s tracking and data analysis enhancements proved critical, especially in high-precision proximity operation scenarios, where it helped understand spacecraft behaviors during these operations. Techniques included optically differentiating the spacecraft at various ranges, which was crucial for ensuring the safe and accurate approach needed for these missions.

“We are unencumbered by the ‘this is how we’ve always done it’ syndrome. This unique perspective pays dividends, setting ExoAnalytic apart as the go-to source for accurate, reliable space object tracking,” says Frisco.

Innovation with a Purpose

ExoAnalytic started with a strong focus on missile defense. Its expertise in building reliable, high-performance tracking software provided the first of two keys to globally scaling a ground based space surveillance network. The second was a unique software framework originally developed by CEO Doug Hendrix for multi-player internet gaming. These provided a jump start to the globally integrated system they operate now.

With decades of experience developing mission-critical systems, its founders combined their know-how with commercial, off-the-shelf hardware to create a turnkey satellite tracking solution. Its proprietary software is honed to perfection through years of pushing the boundaries in missile defense and 24/7 operation of a globally integrated space surveillance network.

“Our software is without peer. Its more advanced and much higher-performing than any other systems we have encountered,” says Hendrix.

This confidence is evident in the way it engages with potential customers, who are invited into its operations center to view and participate in daily operations of its globally integrated network. This quickly demonstrates the coverage, sensitivity, accuracy and timeliness of their operations. This ability to support dynamic space operations today is the ExoAnalytic difference.

“Usually, its pretty simple. An operator will come to us and request a sample assessment of their satellite’s current state, asking, Can you provide an evaluation of where you think we stand?’ We do that, and they often return and say they don’t quite agree. Then, we’ll go through a process of explaining why we differ. By the end of that process, they partner with us,” says Hendrix.

The Art of Building Solutions that Stick

The mantra, "Build things that work, build things that get used", is more than a catchphrase at ExoAnalytic, it's encoded in their DNA. Born from the founders’ and early employees’ experiences at a large defense contractor, this guiding principle shaped its culture and approach to problem-solving.

“When we left our previous jobs, we were determined to create a different company. We wanted to move beyond endless discussions and diagrams and focus on building systems people use,” says Therien.

This hands-on approach drives ExoAnalytic’s pursuit of perfection. From the first lines of code to the final, fully operational system, the company is laser-focused on delivering solutions that make a real impact.

“We stuck with this problem for decades until we perfected it,” says Flewelling.

This combination of passion, practicality and integrity, modeled after tech giants like Microsoft, Apple and SpaceX, has propelled ExoAnalytic to the forefront of its field.

A Bright Future

ExoAnalytic is on the brink of major growth, with ambitious plans to expand its customer base, capabilities and reach. The company is enhancing its network, rolling out new observation phenomenologies, to include passive RF , to deliver additional insights into space object operations and intent. ExoAnalytic is also developing an on-orbit data collection system to close the 6 hour solar exclusion gap imposed on ground based observatories. Overcoming this limitation will provide continuous monitoring of these high-altitude assets.

Venturing into cislunar space, ExoAnalytic is set to support missions like the Intuitive Machines lunar lander’s journey to the moon. As more launches target lunar destinations, the demand for tracking spacecraft traversing the Earth-Moon system is expected to rise. This emerging market offers an exciting opportunity for ExoAnalytic to expand its services and showcase its expertise.

Another key focus for ExoAnalytic is collaborating with partners to explore new sensor technologies and innovative ways of processing and interpreting sensor data at speed and scale. The company has a clear tech roadmap guiding its progress in these areas, ensuring it stays at the forefront of industry advancements.

The satellite industry is also seeing a resurgence in the geosynchronous orbit (GEO) market. After a period of decline due to the rise of mega-constellations, the number of satellites being launched to GEO is increasing. New entrants like Astranis are planning fleets of smaller satellites, expected to be relocated more frequently. This trend underscores the need for precise orbit updates and more frequent observations. ExoAnalytic is well-prepared to meet this rising demand and adapt to the evolving dynamics of space traffic.

ExoAnalytic Solutions is a cosmic traffic controller, orchestrating order in the chaos of Earth’s orbit. Its vigilant eyes on the skies not only safeguard our current space assets but lay the foundation for a future where space exploration and satellite technology can flourish responsibly, transforming the final frontier into a well-managed cosmic highway.