United States Space Surveillance Network

On the slopes above Maui, Hawaii, sits a site within the United States Space Surveillance Network (SSN), part of a global system built to keep watch on everything orbiting Earth.

About United States Space Surveillance Network

The SSN detects, tracks, catalogues, and identifies artificial objects orbiting Earth, from active and inactive satellites to spent rocket bodies and fragmentation debris. It is the responsibility of United States Space Command and is operated by the United States Space Force.

History

The network traces back to 1957. Its Maui location includes the Air Force Maui Optical Station (AMOS), home to an Image Information Processing Center and a supercomputing facility used to process tracking data.

Telescopes & research

The SSN combines dedicated, collateral, and contributing electro-optical, radio-frequency, and radar sensors. Its work includes predicting when and where decaying objects will re-enter the atmosphere, distinguishing returning space objects from missile threats, charting the positions and paths of orbiting objects, and maintaining a running catalogue of everything in Earth orbit.

Location & getting there

This site is located on Maui, Hawaii, a location valued for its high-altitude clear skies, the same qualities that make it prized for civilian astronomy as well as satellite tracking.

Visiting United States Space Surveillance Network

As a U.S. Space Force facility supporting military space operations, it is not a public visitor site. Check official U.S. Space Force channels for any current information before planning a visit.

See your named star from here

A facility built to track every object orbiting our planet is a striking reminder of how precisely a location in the sky can be pinned down, exactly what makes it possible to find a named star from anywhere on Earth. Explore our star-naming packages or the full catalogue.