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Shedding light on objects in space

A before and after shot of a photo enhanced by PDS image processing technology

Just two short years ago a series of serendipitous events led Wes Freiwald and three others to start Pacific Defense Solutions. They brought with them years of experience and expertise, and now this young company is helping define the curve of their industry.

Wes, company president, and Pacific Defense Solutions (PDS) are in the business of creating technologies for ground- and space-based space situational awareness. Working from the Maui Research and Technology Park, Freiwald and company design and develop algorithms, software and provide analysis for some of the nation’s top priority space situational awareness (SSA) programs.

Sound like a mouthful? It may be closer to an eyeful.

Space-based SSA refers to the ability to gather an accurate picture of what and where an object in space is, using an object in space, such as a satellite. A satellite that is above the earth’s atmosphere will be able to gain a clearer view, so to speak, of a space object than a telescope on the ground, which must contend with atmospheric effects to capture its image.

Such a telescope would be providing ground-based SSA, an area in which this company has several subject matter experts. PDS has been instrumental in the development of several major ground-based SSA systems, like the Advanced Electro-Optical System (AEOS) on Mt. Haleakala.

Some of PDS’ specialties address the challenges that accompany getting accurate information on space objects, offering them an industry niche. Staff work on the difficulties posed by dim objects – those that don’t emit much light – developing unique solutions to both identify and gather data on them. Optimizing the ability to see dim objects is now essential to detecting satellites, for instance, as they become increasingly small.

The importance of SSA technology continues to grow in today’s world where space has become an extension of the nation, says Freiwald. He believes the technologies he is helping to develop are making a difference.

And Wes and this young company show no signs of slowing down. PDS continues to advance research for the next generations of SSA technology, and in the process is building robust partnerships with companies such as Boeing and the government. Freiwald has created relationships spanning the ocean, giving the company a mainland presence that could lead to future ventures.

He has future plans to bring PDS innovations to existing products in the commercial marketplace. This may mean that your cell phone will take a much crisper picture, or the security camera your bank uses will have much higher resolution, or the camera you use to take your home photos will take a clearer snapshot - making your talents look all the finer.

When asked how these technologies will be a part of tomorrow’s world, Wes points to their role in the creation of smart systems involving cameras or telescopes, for example. With such a system a security camera could spot a novel activity and follow up on it by itself, unaided by anyone. This may make some folks’ jobs a little bit easier and others’ a bit harder.