The Department of Commerce is working with the space industry in an effort to populate a prototype database system designed to increase companies' situational awareness of satellites and debris orbiting Earth, FedScoop reported Wednesday.
DOC expects to begin testing its Open-Architecture Data Repository model in the fall and also collaborates with three other agencies to incorporate content into the cloud-based storage.
Tom Beach, the department's interim chief data officer, said at a recent industry event that the DOC Office of Space Commerce looks to apply artificial intelligence technology and sensors to space monitoring efforts and wants the private sector to build on OADR data to bring new services to the government.
The repository is being developed to also warn satellite operators when their space asset is in danger of coming into close contact with other objects, according to the report.