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 and to provide data for the business case for shared versus dedicated satellite control, including the ground antenna networks. The favorable cost and schedule performance on SKA is also consistent with the GAO's assessment of commercially hosted payload programs. The SKA experiment utilizes a network of small Infrared 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 began transition of SKA to an operational element of the MDS. Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS): HBTSS will demonstrate a schedule-focused, cost-constrained capability to 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 a 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 demonstrate HBTSS as a potential element within the larger Unified OPIR Enterprise Architecture. Space Applications for Missile Defense (SAMD): SAMD consolidates MDA resources (including those efforts previously planned in PE 1206893C) to provide strategic planning, program integration, contracting, acquisition, engineering, financial management, and program assessments for development and acquisition of space applications. This PE also funds Cybersecurity efforts necessary to support BMDS Space Programs.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2023
• Source ID: 1206895C_4_0400_PB_2023
• Change Summary Explanation: FY 2023 funding increase reflects the fact that the FY 2022 President's Budget request did not include out-year funding.
• Service Agency Name: Missile Defense Agency

Entities

Organizations

• Missile Defense Agency

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Cyber
• Human Systems
• Sensors
• Space
• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

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

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering.
• Defense Acquisition Program Management
• Missile Defense Systems.

Technology Areas

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