LeoLabs sees defense business grow as space-tracking needs multiply | Space

When LeoLabs was founded in 2016, its focus was on using a network of ground-based radars to track space debris and satellites. Its customers were commercial companies and civil agencies concerned about safety in orbit.

A lot has changed since then. The number of satellites in low Earth orbit — about 1,200 miles above the planet — grew from less than 1,000 to closer to 9,000. The creation of the Space Force in 2019 and increasing threats from adversaries is driving more demand from military customers in the U.S. and abroad who want more insight into what’s happening in the domain.

LeoLabs CEO Tony Frazier, who joined the company in February after six years at Maxar Technologies, said those shifts have significantly changed the make up of the firm’s customer base, which is now mostly made up of defense clients. In the first quarter of this year, the company booked a record $20 million in new contracts, the majority of them for military customers.

Frazier recently sat down with Defense News to discuss the company’s evolution, opportunities to support new missions in the Space Force and its international expansion. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What opportunities does LeoLabs see to work with the U.S. Defense Department on existing and emerging missions like on-orbit refueling and satellite servicing or dynamic space operations?

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