ThinkX is a satellite-to-satellite X-ray inspection and attribution system designed to reveal what traditional Space Domain Awareness (SDA) sensors cannot: the internal structures and components of spacecraft.
Existing SDA phenomenology can tell operators where an object is, how it is behaving, and what it looks like externally. ThinkX adds a new layer of intelligence—helping operators understand what’s inside, what a spacecraft may be capable of, and what that can reveal about its intent.
Traditional satellite inspection technologies—including EO, IR, radar, and other phenomenology—primarily observe external characteristics and signatures.
ThinkX looks inside.
Using on-orbit X-ray imaging, ThinkX enables non-invasive internal inspection of spacecraft, providing information that can complement existing SDA sensors and strengthen spacecraft characterization and attribution of intent.
From “What’s There?” to “What’s Inside.”
Space-based X-ray imaging designed to inspect spacecraft from orbit.
Combine internal inspection with existing SDA phenomenology to better understand spacecraft capability and potential intent.
A small, ruggedized payload designed for integration across spacecraft buses that meet operational requirements.
Designed to provide detailed X-ray inspection from operationally relevant standoff distances.
Complement existing sensors with internal spacecraft inspection and characterization.
Support multi-constellation inspection and attribution of spacecraft of interest.
Enable future non-destructive evaluation (NDE) and non-destructive testing (NDT) of spacecraft without physical access or disassembly.
Investigate internal spacecraft conditions to help identify potential failures or anomalies.
Gain additional insight into the structure and composition of objects in orbit.
Use X-ray phenomenology to support characterization of internal materials, structures, and components.
The U-2 Changed What We Could See. ThinkX Is Built to Do the Same in Space.
During the Cold War, aerial reconnaissance gave the United States visibility into threats that could not be adequately understood from the ground.
Today, the space domain presents a similar challenge.
Potential threats can operate in orbit while their true capabilities remain hidden behind a spacecraft’s exterior. ThinkX introduces a new inspection capability designed to reduce that uncertainty.
ThinkX extends Space Domain Awareness beyond observation and surface-level inspection—providing a new way to characterize spacecraft, understand capability, and support attribution of intent.
Want to learn more about ThinkX?