By 
November 19th, 2019
Self-knowing satellites make up the Blackjack constellation.
Credit: DARPA
Pit Boss is an autonomous mission management system for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Blackjack satellite constellation.
DARPA’s Blackjack constellation is designed to operate in low Earth orbit. It will network sensors together with a goal to provide persistent global coverage for many applications, including missile warning.
Raytheon is designing Pit Boss that connects the brains of each Blackjack satellite to establish an exceptionally smart, networked system.
AI, machine learning
According to Raytheon, Pit Boss aims to use an advanced architecture, processors and encryption to autonomously collect and process data from the entire Blackjack constellation. It is also envisioned to be able to incorporate future advanced algorithms, including artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Pit Boss is the data collection and processing data hub. By fusing the sensor data together, decision-making speeds up, transitioning from what is known as operator-in-the-loop to operator-on-the-loop methodology.
Rather than sending data down to a ground station for processing, which takes time, Pit Boss will send data from space straight to the right operator at the right time.
CASINO
“Self-knowing satellites are the next step in autonomous space-based mission planning,” said Mike Rokaw, director for Raytheon Space Systems. “And, this isn’t limited to missile warning and defense. Future constellation management systems will migrate to this type of methodology.”
Given Blackjack’s success, the plan is for the Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) to transition the architecture to a program tagged Commercially Augmented Space Inter Networked Operations – or CASINO for short.
For more information, go to this DARPA info at:
https://www.darpa.mil/program/blackjack
Posted in Space News
