PRECISION TRACKING SPACE SYSTEM

Abstract

Space-based sensors offer on-demand, geographically independent, persistent coverage of areas of specific concern for ballistic missiles with no need for indications and warning, enabling earlier intercept opportunities. With the successful launch of two Space Tracking & Surveillance System (STSS) demonstration spacecraft in 2009, the agency has assets on-orbit to inform the design and operation of the Precision Tracking Space System (PTSS). In FY 2010, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Engineering Directorate and Advanced Technology Directorate conducted system architecture studies and system engineering studies that defined the space-borne system capability needs. That effort provided the system engineering foundation for the Precision Tracking Space System FY 2011 new start. The Precision Tracking Space System is a space and ground segment system that will provide persistent sensor coverage of enemy ballistic missiles in areas of specific concern. The Precision Tracking Space System is designed from the ground up to be an integrated part of the BMDS: one that receives inputs from acquisition sensors and provides outputs to the BMDS battle manager & missile systems. The program mitigates cost, schedule and performance risk by: 1) simplifying the design by focusing on the BMDS mission, 2) incorporating components and subsystems with high technology readiness levels and on-orbit pedigrees and 3) involving industry and the military services up front & early to inform the design for producibility, operations and sustainment. Precision Tracking Space System supports the combatant commands` priority capability needs: - Increase surveillance during entire threat flight spectrum. - Provide cross-Area of Responsibility (AOR) surveillance with global coverage of missile threats to homeland. Precision Tracking Space System contributions to combatant commanders Achievable Capabilities List include: - Capability to engage and re-engage medium-range / intermediate-range / long-range ballistic missile threats. - Unambiguous tracks of air and missile threats and contacts of interest continuously. - Capability to discriminate and characterize detected objects. - Capability to deploy mobile sensors with existing systems in response to emergent threats. - Capability to collect and report aerospace event surveillance data. - Capability to estimate and to confirm effects of Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) action against adversary Air and Missile Defense (AMD) systems. - A system that maintains operational availability through natural and induced environments. Goals and objectives for the Precision Tracking Space System are: - Develop an operational missile tracking capability from space, which will close the BMDS fire control loop, specifically starting with the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense weapon system. Reduce operational, fire control risk by co-locating the national lab design teams for Precision Tracking Space System and Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense, and by embedding US Navy and US Air Force operations and sustainment experts in the Precision Tracking Space System hybrid program office - Focus on tracking raids of regional Medium-Range Ballistic Missiles, Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles and potential Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles from today`s regional threats - Develop and test the first spacecraft articles and the integrated ground system with the BMDS - Ensure early industry involvement by awarding contracts to join the Integrated Systems Engineering Team (ISET) during the first spacecraft article development - Industry partners (up to five) contribute to the national lab development effort to improve the Precision Tracking Space System design for manufacturability and reduce the production risk - Use data from the two on-orbit Space Tracking & Surveillance System demonstration spacecraft testing events - Benchmark models and simulations - Allocate requirements, interface controls, and evaluate operations concepts - Leverage experience gained from Space Tracking & Surveillance System test events to demonstrate capability and insight into Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance linkages and hand off to the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense fire control system The Precision Tracking Space System is an element of the President`s Phased Adaptive Approach. .

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2012
• Source ID: 0604883C_4_0400_PB_2012
• Change Summary Explanation: The FY 2012 $36.967 million dollar increase in this program element corrects a prior shortfall in preliminary planning for the technical design and testbeds for the spacecraft, optical payload, and communication payload of the first article satellites. This amount is offset by $6.928 million in efficiency savings.
• Service Agency Name: Missile Defense Agency

Entities

Organizations

• Missile Defense Agency

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Advanced Electronics
• C4I
• Space
• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Acquisition
• Air Force
• Ballistic Missiles
• Contracts
• Control Systems
• Engineering
• Ground Control Stations
• Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles
• Manufacturing
• Product Development
• Production
• Space Systems
• Spacecraft
• Systems Engineering
• Test And Evaluation
• Theater Ballistic Missiles
• Weapon Systems

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering.
• Missile Defense Systems.

Technology Areas

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