Weather System Follow-on

Abstract

In FY 2023, PE 1206422SF, Weather System Follow-On, Project 644289, Weather Satellite Follow-On, R-1 Line #8 efforts were transferred to PE 1206422SF, Weather System Follow-On, Project 65A039, Weather System Follow-on - Microwave (WSF-M), R-1 Line #20 to reflect the successful completion of Milestone B on 15 May 2020. Residual budget in FY 2024 - 2025 funds has transferred from BA 4 to BA 5 in this budget cycle. Weather System Follow-on (WSF) is a Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) microwave imaging system developed and delivered by the United States Space Force's Space Systems Command (SSC). WSF is the next generation of space-based passive microwave sensing technology. It will provide U.S. and Allied warfighters with essential weather data, including the measurement of ocean surface wind speed and direction, ice thickness, snow depth, soil moisture, and local spacecraft energetic charged particle environment. The ocean surface wind speed measurement enables tropical cyclone intensity determination by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The data gathered by WSF will be provided to meteorologists in support of the generation of a wide variety of weather products necessary to conduct mission planning and operations globally. WSF is an Acquisition Category IB program comprised of two Space Vehicles (SV) and their associated command, control, and data dissemination network. Global environmental monitoring data is gathered, stored, and down-linked through the Satellite Control Network (SCN) and disseminated to Air Force and Navy weather centers. Additionally, data is broadcast real time by the satellite for utilization by heritage Direct Readout Terminals that use the data for local weather forecasting. WSF is a Major Defense Acquisition Program (MDAP) with the Space Force as the lead component. Founded on the Space-Based Environmental Monitoring (SBEM) Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) results, the WSF will be to enable: 1) Timely weather collection over broad oceans in support of maneuvering forces; 2) Space weather capabilities to characterize operational orbits, space situational awareness, and the ionosphere. Secondary investments may be supported to address weather gaps identified in the SBEM AoA and validated by the JROC. Compact Ocean Wind Vector Radiometer (COWVR) is an on-orbit demonstration project of the new COWVR technology to deliver Weather Gap #3, Ocean Surface Vector Winds (OSVW) and Gap #8, Tropical Cyclone Intensity (TCI). Energetic Charged Particles (ECP) supports the SBEM Weather Gap #11, Low Earth Orbit Energetic Charged Particle Characterization. To support this requirement, the ECP sensor will be integrated on the WSF-M satellites. Space acquisition must respond with speed and agility to emerging adversary threats. SSC has transformed 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, SSC 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 WSF weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program elements 1206392SF and 1206398SF. This effort is in Budget Activity 4, Advanced Component Development and Prototypes (ACD&P), because efforts are necessary to evaluate integrated technologies, representative modes or prototype systems in a high fidelity and realistic operating environment.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2024
• Source ID: 1206422SF_4_3620F_PB_2024
• Change Summary Explanation: FY 2022: -1.662M SBIRL/STTR, +13.000M ATR FY 2024: -10.562M; residual budget transferred from PE 1206422SF, Weather System Follow-On, BA 04, to PE 1206422SF, Weather System Follow-On, BA 05 since program has completed Milestone B.
• Service Agency Name: Air Force

Entities

Organizations

• United States Air Force

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Acquisition
• Air Force
• Artificial Satellites
• Charged Particles
• Earth Orbits
• Environmental Monitoring
• Low Earth Orbits
• Military Acquisition
• Situational Awareness
• Space Based
• Space Environments
• Space Force
• Space Situational Awareness
• Space Stations
• Space Systems
• Space Weather
• Spacecraft

Fields of Study

• Environmental science

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering.
• Atmospheric Science/Meteorology

Technology Areas

• Space
• Space - Satellites