Marine ASV Range Surveillance System, Phase II

United States spaceports carry out the critical task of launching and recovering vehicles and payloads. These are extremely unique and expensive assets, and their successful deployment, operation, and recovery are essential to our nation's scientific discovery, economic prosperity, and national security. Surveillance and weather monitoring are significant factors in enabling safe, secure, reliable, and cost effective operations. Ranges encompass large marine regions that are expensive to monitor and not under the exclusive control of the spaceport. Marine regions include backwater areas (lagoon, river, and estuary) near the launch site, as well as the coastal and open-ocean regions extending hundreds of miles downrange. The most hazardous regions must be cleared and maintained clear in preparation for launch and reentry operations to ensure public safety as well as the safety and security of the vehicle itself. To support such operations, Emergent Space Technologies, Inc. (Emergent) proposes to develop the marine autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) range surveillance (MARS) system. MARS is an integrated solution that includes vehicle, payload and ground segments and will support automated collection and transfer of launch range surveillance and weather data. MARS provides enhanced situational awareness to range operators responsible for ensuring public safety, range availability, and mission success.