Privateer Chief Scientist Moriba Jah Wins 2026 AMOS Best Paper for New Approach to Space Object State Estimation

HONOLULU – Privateer Chief Scientist Dr. Moriba Jah has received the 2026 AMOS Conference Best Paper award for The Epistemic Support-Point Filter (ESPF): Possibilistic Space Object State Estimation Under Ignorance, co-authored with Van Haslett. The recognition follows Jah’s presentation at the Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference, where he introduced ESPF as a new approach to state estimation when available evidence is incomplete, conflicting or inconsistent with existing models.

As the orbital environment becomes more crowded and dynamic, operators need not only more observations, but a clearer understanding of how much confidence those observations support. ESPF is designed around that challenge, preserving uncertainty rather than forcing conclusions when the evidence is limited or contradictory.

“The ESPF is the answer to the question, what does a belief honestly  experience when it collides with evidence?,” said Jah. “When sensors disagree, when an object behaves in a way we did not predict, or when our model is incomplete, the system should be able to say that clearly. Better decisions begin with being honest about what we know, what remains possible and what the evidence has actually ruled out.”

As Privateer’s Chief Scientist and co-founder, Jah has helped shape the company’s approach to understanding and characterizing activity in orbit. His work has focused on making complex space information more transparent, accessible and operationally useful, while advancing new ways to understand uncertainty, behavior and risk in the space domain.

The AMOS recognition highlights broader scientific leadership and reinforces the importance of developing tools and methods that help operators make more informed decisions in an increasingly complex orbital environment.