Inside America’s Silent Sentinels: The Untold Story of GSSAP in Space Surveillance
GSSAP-1 and GSSAP-2 were launched on July 28, 2014 aboard a Delta IV M+(4,2) from Cape Canaveral, accompanied by the ANGELS experimental satellite. The GSSAP satellites operate in near-geosynchronous orbit roughly 35,900 km (22,300 miles) above Earth and function as a “neighborhood watch” for the GEO belt, providing space situational awareness to USSPACECOM. Built by Northrop Grumman on the GeoStar-1 bus, GSSAP satellites are three-axis stabilized and carry high-resolution optical sensors capable of rendezvous and proximity operations with other GEO objects. Each GSSAP spacecraft carries limited onboard propellant, meaning its maneuvering life spans only a few years before it must