[1] In 2011, SST achieved first light at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, United States.

In 2017, the SST was dismantled and moved to the Harold E. Holt Naval Communication Station, Exmouth, Western Australia[2][3] to a site with an altitude of around 65 metres (213 ft).

From there it began observing the Southern Celestial Hemisphere and collecting data for the US Space Surveillance Network.

[11] Another concern is the Kessler syndrome, a chain reaction of collisions, creating far more space debris dangerous to working satellites.

[a] SST detects, tracks, and can discern small, obscure objects, in deep space with a "wide field of view system".

These features allow the system to conduct multiple searches throughout the night, including the entire geostationary belt within its field.