Ballistic Missile Defense System Space Programs

Abstract

This program element funds two activities: 1) The SKA project, a Missile Defense Agency (MDA) experiment to demonstrate kill assessment from space and 2) the Missile Defense Space Center (MDSC), an MDA facility at Schriever AFB, CO, dedicated to space systems. The MDSC facilitates the integration and demonstration of missile defense space capabilities with other defense and national security systems. Kill assessment is the determination that the weapon hit a lethal object and that object is assessed to be no longer lethal. In FY 2014 a timely confluence of events was setting the stage for the kill assessment experiment that later became known as SKA. First, the cancellation of the Precision Tracking Space System (PTSS) program allowed residual FY 2013 PTSS funds in PE 0604883C to be used for space experimentation consistent with the intent of the original appropriation. Second, an MDA study called the “Space Layer Option Study” found that disaggregated systems could provide sensor capabilities at lower price points (later echoed in Government Accountability Office report GAO-15-7 on the same topic). Third, section 237 in the FY 2014 National Defense Authorization Act directed MDA to improve kill assessment for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense program. Nine years of testing using the “Kill Assessment Sensor Package” sensor on the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense program indicated that the physics of the kill assessment problem was well understood and that expensive and risky technology development was not needed for space-based kill assessment. This sensor testing on the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense program also showed that an electro-optical / infrared sensor was the optimal sensor to observe an intercept and record data in the frequency bands most advantageous for kill assessment. Additionally, a United States Air Force space experiment highlighted an opportunity was still available to leverage remaining space on the replenishment of a commercial satellite constellation. In April 2014, MDA began the SKA experiment remaining consistent with guidance to best leverage intellectual capital investment in the PTSS program while evolving the technical plan to respond to changes in circumstances, risk and budgetary environment. The SKA experiment will design and assemble a network of small sensors to be integrated onto commercial host satellites and while on orbit, observe missile defense intercepts and deliver a kill assessment declaration to the Ballistic Missile Defense System. If deemed successful by the warfighter, this experiment has the potential to change the economics of the defense of the American homeland from enemy ballistic missiles. The MDSC capabilities and infrastructure provide MDA user capabilities for supporting flight tests, conducting concept development, demonstrations, experiments, and developing and evaluating algorithms within a multi-security level, collaborative environment. As part of a collaborative environment, the Missile Defense Space Center (MDSC) conducts studies and experiments with Air Force Space Command seeking to optimize future Missile Defense Agency (MDA) space-layer options to support Space Situational Awareness (SSA). The MDSC provides MDA elements with a centralized collaboration and integration environment for Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) sensor operations and integration to support the ballistic missile defense mission. The infrastructure of the MDSC supports the operation and control of MDA space systems. In addition, the MDSC annual operating expenses provide infrastructure support for security, configuration management, engineering, test, experiment, data, and logistics and create a collaborative environment for the MDA community that includes the Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS); Near Field Infrared Experiment; BMDS Overhead Persistent Infrared Architecture; Command and Control, Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC); Integrated Sensor Manager; MDA C2BMC Experimentation Laboratory; MDA Enterprise Sensors Laboratory; and future MDA space-layer capabilities. MDSC supports: - BMDS integrated discrimination for Homeland Defense - Engage on STSS against lethal object - Launch on/Engage on using STSS against multiple targets - Launch on/Engage on using STSS against a raid - Ability to support hit/kill assessment from space - Ability to support SSA mission from space - Ability to cue BMDS sensors from space - Ability to integrate space into emerging fire control loops - Develop and refine ground operational concepts for MDA space systems, sensors, data, services, and networks - Operate and refine the MDSC Interchange System to provide robust access to MDA space data and MDA user net-centric sensor tasking request interface - Develop and maintain a security environment to support data integration, test, demonstrations, and experiments across multiple security levels - Provide a Test Integration Lab to support testing, demonstrations, experiments, integration and algorithm development - Demonstrate connectivity and integration of space sensor layer data for the BMDS community and external users - Conduct experiments to test algorithm validity for Missile Defense space systems - Mature BMDS space based sensing through studies, analysis, sensor data integration, algorithm development, performance assessments, and architecture improvements - Develop and mature joint space sensing Concept of Operations, Tactics, Techniques, & Procedures, and asset management to evaluate space based sensor contributions to the BMDS - Integrate and evaluate MDA, other Department of Defense agencies, and Services space capabilities to demonstrate space based sensing contributions for discrimination support, hit assessment, dim target detection and tracking, advanced threat tracking, and wideband infrared sensor data integration and exploitation - Support development and demonstration of real-time Infrared/Radar data fusion (system track) - Provide infrastructure to demonstrate integration of missile defense space capabilities with other defense and national security systems MD40 Program-Wide Support (PWS) consists of essential non-headquarters management efforts providing integrated and efficient support to the MDA functions and activities across the entire Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS).

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2016
• Source ID: 0603895C_4_0400_PB_2016
• Change Summary Explanation: In FY 2016, the Ballistic Missile Defense System Space Programs Program Element (PE) was increased to complete development and begin integration and testing of the Spacebased Kill Assessment (SKA), a project initiated with appropriated funds in PE 0604883C, budget project MD10, to address the 2014 National Defense Authorization Acts requirement for the Missile Defense Agency to develop and field an improved kill assessment capability by FY 2020.
• Service Agency Name: Missile Defense Agency

Entities

Organizations

• Missile Defense Agency

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Sensors
• Space
• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Air Force
• Artificial Satellites
• Ballistic Missiles
• Battle Management
• Contracts
• Control Systems
• Defense Systems
• Detection
• Detectors
• Infrared Detectors
• National Security
• Space Based
• Space Situational Awareness
• Space Systems
• Test And Evaluation
• United States
• United States Strategic Command

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering.
• Missile Defense Systems.

Technology Areas

• Fully Networked C3
• Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control
• Space
• Space - Satellites
• Space - Space Objects