Ballistic Missile Defense System Space Programs
Abstract
This program element funds the Spacebased Kill Assessment (SKA) project, a Missile Defense Agency (MDA) experiment to demonstrate kill assessment from space. MDA experience with intercept testing on the Aegis BMD program provided solid understanding of the physics of kill assessment. Several events set the stage for the kill assessment experiment that later became known as SKA: - Section 237 in the FY 2014 National Defense Authorization Act directed MDA to improve kill assessment for the GMD program with an initial kill assessment capability by December 31, 2019 - An MDA study called the “Space Layer Option Study” found that disaggregated systems could provide sensor capabilities at lower costs - A once in a decade opportunity became available when the commercial sector offered hosted payload services at costs far below what MDA could expect if it used traditional DOD space acquisition models One feature of the SKA acquisition plays a crucial role in the execution of the experiment: schedule discipline. Since MDA cannot impact the schedule of the commercial host, maintaining schedule pace is priority #1 on the program. If SKA payloads are delivered late to the commercial host, they miss their opportunity to be launched into space. SKA incorporates recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommendations to examine the operational feasibility of disaggregating large satellites (report number GAO-15-7) and to provide data for the business case for shared or dedicated satellite control, including the ground antenna networks (report number GAO-13-315). The SKA experiment will utilize a network of small IR sensors integrated onto commercial host satellites which, while on orbit, will observe missile defense intercepts and deliver a kill assessment declaration to the BMDS. If deemed successful by the warfighter, SKA has the opportunity to change the economics of the defense of the American homeland from enemy ballistic missiles. MD40 Program-Wide Support (PWS) consists of essential non-headquarters management efforts providing integrated and efficient support to MDA functions and activities across the entire BMDS.
Document Details
- Document Type
- R2 Budgetary Justification
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2017
- Source ID
- 0603895C_4_0400_PB_2017
- Change Summary Explanation
- The FY 2015 adjustments reflect a reallocation of $0.107M for SBIR/STTR Transfer and a reallocation of $1.278M from PE 06039893C for Spacebased Kill Assessment development. The FY 2017 adjustment reflects a realignment of Department of Defense priorities.
- Service Agency Name
- Missile Defense Agency
Entities
Organizations
- Missile Defense Agency
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