Space Surveillance Telescope
Space Surveillance Telescope | |
| Alternative names | SST |
|---|---|
| Location(s) | Exmouth, Western Australia, AUS |
| Coordinates | 21°53′44″S 114°05′24″E / 21.89566938°S 114.08989072°E |
| First light | 2011, 2020 |
| Diameter | 3.5 m (11 ft 6 in) |
| Related media on Commons | |
The Space Surveillance Telescope (SST) is a Southern Hemisphere-based United States Space Force telescope used for detecting, tracking, and cataloguing satellites, near-Earth objects, and space debris.
In 2011, SST achieved first light at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, United States. In 2017, the SST was dismantled and moved to the Harold E. Holt Naval Communication Station, Exmouth, Western Australia to a site with an altitude of around 65 metres (213 ft). From there it began observing the Southern Celestial Hemisphere and collecting data for the US Space Surveillance Network. The repositioned SST achieved first light in Australia on 5 March 2020. The SST entered initial operational capability on 4 October 2022 and is operated by the Royal Australian Air Force, 1 Remote Sensor Unit under the command and control (C2) of the U.S. Space Force.