EP 54 — Slingshot Aerospace’s Erik Ekwurzel on Low-Cost Optical Alternatives for Space Radar Systems

In Dave’s latest conversation on DIB Innovators, he uncovers how Slingshot Aerospace has become one of the few major entities globally collecting space data at scale, alongside superpowers like the US, China, and Russia. Erik Ekwurzel, CDIO, explains how their patented optical sensor technology, which is deployed across 22 global sites, can detect objects as small as CubeSats while collecting critical photometric data that radar systems can't capture. 

As space becomes increasingly contested and congested, and with satellite numbers projected to grow from 12,000 today to potentially 100,000 in less than a decade, Slingshot's mission to deliver "decision-valued data" for safe space operations has become crucial for both government and commercial operators. 

Topics discussed:

• How Slingshot's physics-true AI training environment gives them an edge in space domain awareness, allowing their AI to immediately focus on patterns rather than wasting time learning basic physics principles.
• How Slingshot's global network of optical sensors generates over 1 billion space observations every six months (8-10 million daily), making them a major global entity collecting space data at scale.
• The competitive advantage of using staring arrays versus traditional cueable sensors, including the ability to monitor large sections of space simultaneously without needing to be repositioned, which allows them to detect both known and previously unidentified objects.
• How Slingshot applied AI to develop GPS jamming and spoofing detection capabilities for the US Space Force, identifying ground-based interference with satellite signals.
• The significant cost efficiency of Slingshot's optical sensor approach: sub-million dollar deployable systems versus traditional radar installations that require football-field-sized infrastructure and massive power supplies.
• The exponential challenges of space traffic management as orbital congestion increases, illustrating why AI-assisted decisions will soon become essential for satellite operators facing ever more risks.
• The tension between intellectual property rights and government procurement in the DIB, with agencies often wanting to purchase rather than license proprietary technology, creating sustainability challenges for innovative companies.
• The critical need for real-time data processing at scale, with Slingshot working to minimize latency from sensor observations to actionable intelligence while maintaining 99.999% system uptime.

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Guest Quote: 

“The scientists that work in this space have been in this space for a long time. The ones that are producing really good science and everything that exists out in space has to be science driven. And unless you're going to take the time to learn something about what it is that the scientists are doing in your company or in your organization, you're not going to be able to succeed. So cozy up to the scientists, try to get them to share with you as much as they can, in layman's terms, as quickly as they possibly can.”