Going Blind: Why America is on the Verge of Losing its Situational Awareness in Space and What Can be Done About it

This 2012 report by Brian Weeden examines the growing risk that the United States will lose its ability to maintain awareness of activity in space—what experts call Space Situational Awareness (SSA). Weeden draws on his background in military operations and technical analysis to explore how reliance on outdated SSA infrastructure, rising traffic in orbit, and insufficient policy planning could lead to a strategic blind spot in U.S. national security.

The paper outlines both the symptoms and root causes of America’s deteriorating SSA capability, including organizational fragmentation, reliance on legacy systems, and a lack of coordination between civil and military efforts. It also warns of how commercial and international actors are complicating the operational picture.

Weeden concludes with concrete policy and operational recommendations, including better data-sharing practices, modernization of legacy systems, and greater collaboration between U.S. agencies, allies, and commercial partners.