The UK Space Command has established the JCO-UK cell, integrated within the JCO-Global initiative. This initiative enhances global understanding and utilisation of data in support of Space Domain Awareness (SDA). The US-led JCO Programme, or ‘Joint Task Force-Space Defense Commercial Operations Cell’, provides unclassified indications of orbital activity derived through public research, commercial SDA sensors, and analytical tools.
The JCO-Global construct has been augmented by the stand-up of the JCO-UK cell. From 26 June 2023, the JCO-UK cell will assist with the JCO’s ‘follow-the-sun’ model, which aims to eventually provide global SDA coverage, with each cell around the world operating during normal business hours, providing unclassified indications of orbital activity.
Flight Lieutenant Nick Hallchurch, JCO-UK team lead, said: “Our focus will be to produce timely, high-quality Notices to Space Operators (NOTSO) during our operating hours, a key step in our collective ambition to deliver 24-hour ‘follow-the-sun’ operations.”
SDA is a fundamental enabler of all other space capabilities and is critical to our ability to protect UK and allied interests in space. It also features as one of the top UK capability space development priorities. The objectives are to protect and defend space systems against relevant threats and hazards, to monitor spacecraft for compliance with regulatory and international agreements, to provide coherent civil and military space domain awareness, and to increase data and information sharing with international partners.
The JCO’s ‘follow-the-sun’ model is aimed at providing global SDA coverage within normal business hours. As the programme expands to include more partner nations, it is anticipated that the JCO will move to 24 hour global operations, five days a week in fiscal year 2024.
“The stand-up of JCO-UK marks a step forward in building out our follow-the-sun model for 24/7 operations,” said Brigadier General Dennis Blythewood, Commander of Joint Task Force. “Each Ally and partner brings people, resources, or capability that makes the JCO stronger, leveraging ever-increasing commercial capabilities to ensure norms of behavior in space.”
The US-led JCO Programme, or ‘Joint Task Force-Space Defense Commercial Operations Cell’ was established in 2020 to augment the United States National Space Defense Center’s protect-and-defend mission. It uses public research, commercial SDA sensors and analytical tools in a collaborative mix of government, military and commercial teams.
Last year, the UK successfully led its first Sprint Advanced Concept Training, a tri-annual live-virtual experiment and exercise series that provides opportunities for commercial vendors of space data and analytics capabilities to explore integration of their products in a realistic space operations environment.
At its core, the JCO strengthens integration between the Government and commercial sectors, enhances collaboration between allied Space Operations Centres, and integrates publicly available information into operations. The JCO anticipates moving to 24/5 global operations with partner nations, including the U.K., in fiscal year 2024.
The JCO was established in 2020 to augment the United States National Space Defense Center’s protect-and-defend mission. It’s a collaborative mix of government, military and commercial teams, with the mission to monitor launches and objects in space, to provide diverse and timely SDA.
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