Anduril demos night-vision sensor for tracking satellites in darkness

Anduril says it has successfully demonstrated an infrared sensor in orbit that can track spacecraft while they pass through Earth’s shadow. The capability could help address a gap in satellite monitoring, allowing the US Space Force and other operators to detect manoeuvres that visible-light sensors may miss.

The sensor detects heat from other objects and has a wide dynamic range with few restrictions from sunlight, according to Anduril. Its Anduril-216 satellite launched on a SpaceX rideshare mission in July and orbits about 590 kilometres above Earth, spending roughly a third of each orbit in darkness. Anduril released an infrared image of the Moon as an example; the company says the sensor is focused on tracking in low Earth orbit, with possible uses in other orbits.