Visibility in space magnified: U.S. Space Force domain awareness upgrade shatters standard for orbital detection, tracking

Published April 14, 2026
By U.S. Space Force Combat Forces Command Public Affairs
U.S. Space Force Combat Forces Command Public Affairs

MAUI, Hawaii -- The U.S. Space Force’s scanning of earth’s orbits is now done faster, wider, and clearer than ever before courtesy of a Ground-Based Optical Sensor System (GBOSS) upgrade at the Maui Space Surveillance Complex (MSSC) on Maui, Hawaii.

The advanced space domain awareness capability doubles the field of view, doubles the search speed and more than triples the sensitivity of what the U.S. Space Force can see on orbit. The upgrade enables rapid search and discovery of small, hard-to-see, and stealthy threats in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), Geostationary Orbit (GEO), High Earth Orbit (HEO) and cislunar orbits.

“The advancements we’re seeing with GBOSS significantly enhance our awareness in space. We’ve been able to see the operational benefits of improved clarity across multiple orbital regimes,” said Maj. Latina Jones, 15th Space Surveillance Squadron Deputy Commander. “Seeing faster, clearer, and with a wider view enables decisive advantage for combatant commanders.”

The MSSC is the second Ground-Based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance (GEODSS) site to operationally accept the upgrade, completing the milestone on April 10, 2026. A system at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, was upgraded and operationally accepted in June 2025.

“Space superiority starts with space domain awareness. This advanced capability increases our ability to detect, identify, and maintain custody of activities in space,” said Col. Barry Croker, commander of USSF Combat Forces Command’s Mission Delta 2 – Space Domain Awareness. “We’ve now significantly enhanced our ability to monitor our adversaries who try to hide activities in orbit. Objects in space that were once too dark, too small, or too close to one another are now observable.”

Enhancing space domain awareness capabilities is critical in a time when space is growing increasingly congested and threats to assets that enable modern ways of life to persist.

The upgrade was an acquisition success for the U.S. Space Force. Drawing on the momentum from the previous site allowed the MSSC site to streamline test and evaluation processes and enable early operational use for combatant commands and warfighters.

The MSSC’s GBOSS upgrade was authorized for early use and test streamlining in October 2025, proving readiness, executing operational tasks, and accelerating the timeline from fielding to operational acceptance by at least two months.

“This is a successful example of rapid sustainment and enhancement of current capabilities to get Guardian warfighters what they need when they need it,” said USSF Col. Dustin Guidry, System Delta 85 director of Battlespace Awareness, at Space Systems Command.

The Maui-based 15th Space Surveillance Squadron is part of U.S. Space Force’s Combat Forces Command’s Mission Delta 2, enabling space domain awareness. CFC, one of three Field Commands, is the U.S. Space Force’s Service Force Provider, focused on generating and presenting improved combat-ready Space Forces, fortifying mission resiliency, and advocating for combat-ready space power from future force to fielded force. Space Systems Command is the U.S. Space Force Field Command responsible for acquiring, developing, and delivering resilient capabilities to outpace emerging threats and protect our Nation’s strategic advantage in, from, and to space.

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