Space Force gives SpaceX first commercial access to high-accuracy tracking catalog
Space Force granted SpaceX enhanced access to Space Command's High Accuracy Catalog, including detailed tracking data, in exchange for Stargaze sensor data.
The story in focus
The US Space Force has granted SpaceX enhanced access to Space Command's High Accuracy Catalog, including Vector Covariance Messages built from military radar and telescope tracking of objects down to about 10cm, The Guardian reports. It is the first such access for a commercial company. In exchange, the government gets access to SpaceX's Stargaze cameras and radars.
- The Guardian reports the Space Force gave a commercial company enhanced access to the High Accuracy Catalog for the first time
- Access includes Vector Covariance Messages from military sensors tracking objects down to about 10cm
- SpaceX provides the government access to its Stargaze network of cameras and radars on Starlink satellites
- Stargaze can see objects down to about half a meter, less precise than the military system
- A former NOAA official said SpaceX has been responsive on safety but faulted the government's governance framework
What the agreement covers
The Space Force has given SpaceX access to the most detailed, secure version of Space Command's High Accuracy Catalog of on-orbit objects, according to The Guardian. The data includes Vector Covariance Messages, which are assembled from tracking by military sensors, ground telescopes and radars that follow satellites and other objects in lower orbit down to about 10cm (3.93in) in size. The Guardian reports this is the first time a commercial company has received enhanced access to that catalog.
The military largely uses the radars and data to monitor other countries' satellite positions, but also to track commercial spacecraft and objects to avoid collisions. A Space Force spokesperson told Breaking Defense that the service is engaging several companies to exchange commercial data sources for access to sections of the controlled, unclassified High Accuracy Catalog where it benefits the US government, The Guardian reported.
What the government receives
In return, the government gains access to SpaceX's Stargaze system, made up of thousands of cameras and radars mounted on Starlink satellites. Stargaze can see objects down to about half a meter in size and is less accurate than the military system, The Guardian reports. A SpaceX employee said at an industry conference that military radar data is an extremely valuable supplement to Stargaze, according to Breaking Defense.
Cole Donovan, a former Traccs employee now with the Stand Up for Science non-profit, characterized the arrangement as making a company the de facto source for US space traffic coordination. A former NOAA official, speaking anonymously, said SpaceX has been remarkably responsive to space safety concerns and faulted the government for failing to establish a coherent space governance framework.
Context and next milestone
Traccs, the Traffic Coordination System for Space, was established in the first Trump administration to take over commercial space traffic control from the defense department, but has never been fully funded or staffed, The Guardian reports. The administration tried to largely defund the $65m program in fiscal year 2026, and Congress reinserted the funding; it proposed slashing the budget to nearly zero for fiscal year 2027, and the House again reinserted funding. SpaceX and the Space Force did not respond to the Guardian's requests for comment.
How precise is the military tracking data SpaceX can now access?
The Vector Covariance Messages draw on military radar and telescope tracking of objects in lower orbit down to about 10cm in size, according to The Guardian. SpaceX's own Stargaze system sees objects down to about half a meter.
Sources & further reading
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