Space Situation Awareness Operations

Abstract

Space Situational Awareness (SSA) is knowledge of all aspects of space related to operations. As the foundation for space control, SSA encompasses surveillance of all space objects and activities; detailed reconnaissance of specific space assets; monitoring space environmental conditions; monitoring cooperative space assets; gathering intelligence on adversary space operations; and conducting integrated command, control, communications, processing, analysis, dissemination, and archiving activities. SSA also encompasses the integration, exploitation and delivery of data sources to facilitate the battle management and command and control of space forces. This program element fields, upgrades, modifies, modernizes, operationalizes, operates and maintains Air Force sensors and information integration capabilities within the SSA Space Surveillance Network (SSN) while companion program element 1206425F, Space Situational Awareness Systems, develops new network sensors and improved information integration capabilities across the network. Activities funded in this program element (1203940F) focus on surveillance of objects in earth orbit to aid tasks including satellite tracking; space object identification; tracking and cataloging; satellite attack warning; notification of satellite flyovers to U.S. forces; space treaty monitoring; and technical intelligence gathering. Service Life Extension Programs (SLEPs) (Project 67A017) are efforts to upgrade, operationalize and extend the life of operational SSA sensors, as needed. These SLEPs extend the serviceable life of assets and maintain critical capability by replacing aging and increasingly unsustainable components with modern and sustainable equipment. In addition, the SLEPs themselves may be designed to increase capabilities not currently realized. As the need arises in the execution year, funds in this project may be used to begin SLEPs on additional efforts. These efforts may include prototyping and technology demonstrations. Global Sensor Watch Program provides an integrated SSA Tip and Cue capability that implements a survivable architecture that provides overlapping, assured, and viable surveillance options for executing event response, multiple level security processing of SSA data and automated cross-sensor tipping and cueing around the globe. Other efforts to support Battle Management Command & Control (BMC2) in space include developing & deploying advanced software algorithms to identify, acquire, characterize, and maintain custody of deep space Super High Interest Objects (SHIO); optimizing intelligence community & Missile Defense Agency sensors to better support BMC2; developing & executing Joint Functional Component Command (JFCC) for Space exercises such as Combined Space Operations Center (CSpOC) Experimentation, Test and Training Initiative (JETTI) to test & optimize Space Control capabilities, concepts of operations (CONOPS) development to increase probability of survival for blue assets, and refining requirements across the space enterprise; enhancing sensor performance to close the solar exclusion gap by leveraging technologies such as optical daylight tracking; and improving legacy communication paths to support bi-directional machine-to-machine sensor communications enabling a more complete BMC2 capability. Ground Based Radar Upgrades improves the sensitivity, search capabilities and CONOPS of existing ground-based SSA sensors to better support custody and fire control timelines. The FY 2020 funding request was reduced by $8.000 million to account for the availability of prior year execution balances. Space acquisition must respond with speed and agility to emerging adversary threats. Space & Missile Systems Center (SMC) is transforming the organization and implementation of space acquisition to an enterprise approach, maximizing innovation and resiliency, leveraging international, commercial, and mission partnerships, and managing program/project priorities according to an integrated unclassified/classified enterprise space architecture. Expanding the appropriate acquisition authorities and contract mechanisms to deliver capability sooner, SMC will strategically execute experimentation, prototyping, risk reduction, and other efforts to develop new or repurpose capabilities. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program elements 1206392F and 1206398F. As directed in the FY 2018 NDAA, Sec 825, amendment to PL 114-92 FY 2016 NDAA, Sec 828 Penalty for Cost Overruns, the FY 2018 Air Force penalty total is $14.373M. The calculated percentage reduction to each research, development, test and evaluation and procurement account will be allocated proportionally from all programs, projects, or activities under such account. This program is in Budget Activity 7, Operational System Development because this budget activity includes development efforts to upgrade systems that have been fielded or have received approval for full rate production and anticipate production funding in the current or subsequent fiscal year.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2020
• Source ID: 1203940F_7_3600_PB_2020
• Change Summary Explanation: FY 2018: -$4.000M Congressional reduction - excess to need; -$8.000M reprogramming for higher Air Force priorities FY 2020: +$5.520M increase for completion of Space Surveillance Telescope (SST) testing; -$8.000M reduction to account for availability of prior year execution balances
• Service Agency Name: Air Force

Entities

Organizations

• United States Air Force

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Cyber
• Engineered Resilient Systems
• Sensors
• Space
• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Air Force
• Artificial Satellites
• Battle Management
• Command And Control
• Contracts
• Deep Space
• Ground Based
• Intelligence Community
• Situational Awareness
• Space Defense
• Space Force
• Space Objects
• Space Operations
• Space Situational Awareness
• Space Surveillance
• Surveillance
• Test And Evaluation

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering.
• Civilian Systems Systems Program Capability Development and Upgrade Support Activity Expense and Pay Management.

Technology Areas

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