Precision Tracking Space System

Abstract

Space-based sensors offer on-demand, geographically independent and persistent coverage of areas of specific concern for ballistic missiles with no need for indications and warning. Space-based sensors also expand the battle space of all BMD ships operating in the northern hemisphere with increased raid size handling and threat range capability. With the two Space Tracking & Surveillance System (STSS) demonstration satellites (launched in 2009), the Agency regularly and consistently demonstrated space-based remote sensor and fire control integration, initially in April 2011 in Flight Test Marine (FTM)-15 and most recently in May 2012, in FTM-16 Event 2A. These successes are informing the design, integration, and operations of the Precision Tracking Space System (PTSS). The PTSS is a space and ground segment system that will provide persistent sensor coverage of enemy ballistic missiles. The PTSS is designed to be an integrated part of the BMDS: one that receives cues from all 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. The PTSS has inherent capability for other missions such as Space Situational Awareness. The Agency expects that capability to be exploited by the joint warfighter when the PTSS is not engaged in a missile defense mission. The Combatant Commands and Services have a need for a persistent ability to provide fire-control quality tracking of a raid of ballistic missiles over their entire trajectory for both homeland and regional defense scenarios, specifically, improve birth-to-death tracking, identification, and targeting, including the capability to detect, track, discriminate and counter large, dense raids, and structured attacks. Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) systems acquire and track the boost and early post-boost phases of a missile`s trajectory, but the PTSS is required to continue to track ballistic missiles through their accent, apogee, and until they reenter into the earth`s atmosphere. Goals and objectives for the PTSS are: - Develop an operational missile tracking capability from space, which will close the BMDS fire control loop, specifically the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense and Ground Based Interceptor weapon systems, by way of the BMDS battle manager. - Reduce operational, fire control risk by co-locating the national lab design teams for PTSS and Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense, and by embedding US Navy and US Air Force operations and sustainment experts in the PTSS hybrid program office. - Focus on tracking raids of regional Medium-Range Ballistic Missiles, Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles and Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles from today`s regional threats. - Develop and test the development satellite 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 development satellite article design. Six Industry partners (Ball, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Orbital, and Raytheon) 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 on-orbit Space Tracking & Surveillance System (STSS) demonstration satellite testing events - Benchmark models and simulations. - Allocate requirements, interface controls, and evaluate operations concepts. - Leverage experience gained from STSS 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. - Develop a government owned design to foster production competition over the life of the program. The Precision Tracking Space System (PTSS) contributes to defense of the U.S. homeland and regional, missile defense, including large raid protection. MD40 Program-Wide Support (PWS) consists of essential non-headquarters management costs in support of the MDA functions and activities across the entire Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS).

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2014
• Source ID: 0604883C_4_0400_PB_2014
• Change Summary Explanation: FY 2014 reflects termination of the program.
• Service Agency Name: Missile Defense Agency

Entities

Organizations

• Missile Defense Agency

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Advanced Electronics
• Space
• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Acquisition
• Artificial Satellites
• Ballistic Missiles
• Contracts
• Control Systems
• Detectors
• Engineering
• Fire Control Systems
• Ground Control Stations
• Satellite Buses
• Situational Awareness
• Space Situational Awareness
• Space Systems
• Systems Engineering
• Test And Evaluation
• Weapon Systems
• Weapons

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering.
• Missile Defense Systems.
• Sensor Fusion and Tracking Systems.

Technology Areas

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