A need exists for low-cost, high-accuracy, timely Space Domain Awareness (SDA) for both the Air Force (AF) and commercial providers. Optical sensors are limited by the Sun, creating detection gaps of up to 8 hours every day. Passive radio frequency (RF) sensors circumvent this without using costly active radar. The SAFFRON (Statically Aligned Far Field Radio Observation Network) concept is a passive RF fence melded with optical sensors to maintain unbroken watch, fusing RF measurements with optical tracks to provide all-hours persistent SDA.
