Ballistic Missile Defense System Space Programs

Abstract

Spacebased Kill Assessment (SKA): The SKA project will deliver hit and kill assessment from space. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Missile Defense System (MDS) intercept testing experience provided a solid understanding of kill assessment physics to enable exploration of this critical capability. SKA incorporates Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommendations to examine the operational feasibility of disaggregating large satellites (report number GAO-15-7) and to provide data for the business case for shared or dedicated satellite control, including the ground antenna networks (report number GAO-13-315). The favorable cost and schedule performance on SKA is also consistent with the GAO's assessment of commercially hosted payload programs (report number GAO-18-493). The SKA experiment utilizes a network of small Infrared (IR) sensors integrated onto commercial host satellites that while on orbit observe missile defense intercepts and deliver hit and kill assessment declarations to the MDS. After successful participation in MDS Flight Tests in FY 2019, the MDA Director made the decision to begin transition of SKA to an operational element of the MDS. HBTSS: HBTSS is a schedule-focused, cost-constrained capability that will detect and track hypersonic threats and boosting conventional ballistic missiles. The key characteristic of HBTSS that sets it apart from other Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) sensors is the requirement to provide fire-control quality tracking data. This information will be handed off to the MDS hypersonic weapons systems to allow long range engagement of the threat and the enhanced tracking accuracy, through missile burn out, will provide the warfighter increased missile defense weapons systems engagement capability and higher accuracy impact predictions. The requirement for fire-control data necessitates that HBTSS be highly sensitive, low-latency, high quality of service system. MDA is collaborating with the U.S. Space Force, under the leadership of the Chief of Space Operations, and the Space Development Agency to deploy HBTSS as an element within the larger OPIR enterprise architecture. This PE also funds Cybersecurity efforts necessary to support BMDS Space Programs.

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Document Details

Document Type
R2 Budgetary Justification
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2022
Source ID
1206895C_4_0400_PB_2022
Change Summary Explanation
Increase in FY 2021 provides Congressional add for Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) and a transfer from Space Technology Development and Prototyping for HBTSS. Increase in FY 2022 provides for HBTSS development, Spacebased Kill Assessment (SKA) integration and operationalization, and for MD Program Wide Support.
Service Agency Name
Missile Defense Agency

Entities

Organizations

  • Missile Defense Agency

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Cyber
  • Sensors
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Artificial Satellites
  • Command And Control
  • Contractors
  • Contracts
  • Cybersecurity
  • Cyberspace Operations
  • Defense Systems
  • Information Assurance
  • Information Systems
  • National Security
  • Procurement
  • Product Development
  • Satellite Buses
  • Space Force
  • Space Systems
  • Spacecraft
  • United States Strategic Command

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Missile Defense Systems.

Technology Areas

  • Cyber
  • Cyber - Quantum
  • Hypersonics
  • Space
  • Space - Satellites

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