Milestone Sensor Upgrade Enhances Space Force Identifying, Tracking Capability

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Astrophotography showcasing the Ground-based Electrical Optical Deep Space Surveillance facility, or GEODSS, operated by the 15th Space Surveillance Squadron, Detachment 1, at the White Sands Missile Range, N.M., captured Aug. 25, 2022. The 15th SPSS is comprised of a blended organizational structure with assigned personnel from Space Operations Command and the Air Force Research Laboratory. (U.S Space Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kaitlin Castillo)
Astrophotography showcasing the Ground-Based Electrical Optical Deep Space Surveillance facility, or GEODSS, operated by the 15th Space Surveillance Squadron, Detachment 1, at the White Sands Missile Range, N.M., captured Aug. 25, 2022. The 15th SPSS is comprised of a blended organizational structure with assigned personnel from Space Operations Command and the Air Force Research Laboratory (U.S. Space Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kaitlin Castillo).

August 19, 2025 | Originally published by U.S. Space Force (USSF) on July 31, 2025

PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS) — U.S. Space Force Space Operations Command (SpOC), in partnership with U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command, approved the operational acceptance of a milestone upgrade to the Ground-Based Optical Sensor System (GBOSS) at the Ground-Based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance site in White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. SpOC is now in the integrated testing phase of an upgrade to its Ground-Based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance site in Maui, which will upgrade to GBOSS upon operational acceptance.

The Space Force continues to invest in capabilities like GBOSS to advance Space Domain Awareness capabilities that offer a timely, relevant, and actionable understanding of the operational environment that allows military forces to plan, integrate, execute, and assess space operations. GBOSS improves on the U.S. Space Force’s ability to map the space operating environment for Guardians to conduct defensive and offensive operations in response to threats and close protect and defend kill chains.

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