U.S. Space Force Selects Texas Site for Final Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability Node, Targeting 2030 Operations
The U.S. Space Force announced that Lake Kickapoo in Archer County, Texas, will host the third and final node of the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC). This trilateral system, involving the U.S., UK, and Australia, is designed to eliminate blind spots in the surveillance of geosynchronous orbit (GEO), which is approximately 22,236 miles high. GEO is critical for military and civilian satellites, including nuclear early-warning, GPS, and communication assets. The Texas site's construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, with operations targeted for 2030, two years ahead of a previous Government Accountability Office (GAO) projection. This announcement completes the network architecture, which includes Site 1 in Australia and Site 2 in Wales, aiming to provide continuous, all-weather radar coverage of GEO.
