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 reflecting the successful completion of Milestone B on 15 May 2020. Residual budget in FY 2024 - FY 2025 funds has transferred from BA 4 to BA 5 in this budget cycle. Weather System Follow-on program 1206422SF consists of Space Situational Awareness Environmental Monitoring (SSAEM) Project 65A038 and WSF-M Project 65A039. SSAEM Project 65A038 is a non-ACAT, Class D technology demonstration project to support the international Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate 2 (COSMIC-2) mission. The SSAEM program provides the acquisition, development and launch/on-orbit support of 18 space/terrestrial weather sensors to COSMIC-2 partnership in coordination with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Taiwan's National Space Organization (NSPO). COSMIC-2 launched six satellites in an equatorial, Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with 3 SSAEM sensors in each spacecraft in FY 2019. The sensor types are Tri-Global Navigation Satellite System (Tri-GNSS) Radio occultation System (TGRS), Ion Velocity Meter (IVM) and Radio Frequency Beacon (RFB). The SSAEM sensors will address three distinct Joint Requirement Oversight Committee (JROC)-approved Category A weather capability gaps, specifically Gap #4 (Ionospheric Density), Gap #7 (Equatorial Ionospheric Scintillation) and Gap #12 (Electric Field), to provide additional space meteorological data to improve forecast capabilities and improve warfighter navigation/communication capabilities. The Weather Satellite Follow-on - Microwave (WSF-M) Project 65A039 includes funds for the WSF-M system, the Compact Ocean Wind Vector Radiometer (COWVR) technology demonstration, and the Energetic Charged Particle (ECP) sensor development. 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. 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). 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 for 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 program is in Budget Activity 5, System Development and Demonstration (SDD) because it has passed Milestone B approval and is conducting engineering and manufacturing development tasks aimed at meeting validated requirements prior to full rate production.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2024
• Source ID: 1206422SF_5_3620F_PB_2024
• Change Summary Explanation: FY 2022: -$0.0212M realign funding to APPN3620, PE 99999S, for cancelled year bill. FY 2022: -$0.049M for Congressional General Reduction FY 2023: -$0.150M for Congressional General Reduction FY 2024: +$10.562M; transferred from PE 1206422SF, Weather System Follow-On, Project 644289, Weather Satellite Follow-On, Budget Activity, BA 4, to PE 1206442SF, Weather System Follow-On, Project 65A039, WSF-M, BA 5 to capture residual budget. FY 2024: -$0.5M; to realign funding to APPN 3410, PE 1207804SF (SAG 13C), for fiscal policy compliance as Space Systems Command (SSC) establishes Headquarters functions and a Chief Information Office (CIO) for integrated cybersecurity. FY 2024: +$0.4M; inflation rates for Non-Pay and Non-Fuel purchases.
• Service Agency Name: Air Force

Entities

Organizations

• United States Air Force

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Artificial Satellites
• Earth Orbits
• Environmental Monitoring
• Global Navigation Satellite Systems
• Ionospheric Scintillation
• Low Earth Orbits
• Military Acquisition
• Navigation
• Navigation Satellites
• Radio Frequency
• Situational Awareness
• 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