Leolabs inaugurates its 11th space monitoring station in Portugal

As the number of satellites in orbit and the amount of debris increases, space surveillance technologies play a vital role in avoiding collisions and ensuring optimum safety for "strategic" satellites.

American company Leolabs, present in the Vintage Altaroc Odyssey 2021, has developed radar technology and last week inaugurated its 11th station worldwide in the Azores.

Located on the island of Santa Maria, Portugal, the new site provides essential coverage in Europe, and supports regional and national commitments to space safety, security and sustainability.

Leolabs customers include theUS Army, the Japanese Ministry of Defense and Starlink. " Nearly two-thirds of all satellites in Low Earth Orbit today are under contract to LeoLabs," says Alan DeClerk, the company's vice-president. TheEuropean Space Agency -ESA counts 36,000 pieces of debris over 10 centimetres in size, orbiting the Earth at 28,000 km/h. While 7,000 satellites are currently in orbit, a further 24,500 are due to be launched over the next decade.