Resilient MW/MT - MEO
Abstract
The United States Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) and Space Development Agency (SDA) are collaborating to deliver Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) capabilities, in concert with Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community (IC) partners, to support a proliferated space architecture, resilient-by-design, capable of operating through contested environments. SSC's Resilient MW/MT - MEO space and ground efforts pivot the Department of the Air Force's (DAF) legacy missile warning force design to a more resilient multi-orbit approach to counter advanced missiles, hypersonic glide vehicles, and fractional orbital bombardment threats. MW/MT - MEO is anchored in Missile Warning and Missile Defense Capability Development Document (CDD) requirements validated by the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC). Constellation resiliency is foundational to the DAF's Resilient Missile Warning / Tracking force design; therefore, the OPIR Family of Systems, including MW/MT - MEO, is designed to work cohesively to gain and maintain custody of a spectrum of missile threats. The MEO program will deploy space assets in multiple epochs to allow for incremental capability delivery and to ensure competition throughout the lifecycle of the program. Resilient MW/MT - MEO will bolster legacy Space Based Infrared Satellite (SBIRS) and Next-Gen OPIR capabilities and will independently satisfy all mission area CDD requirements for both missile warning and tracking by FY 2031. FY 2024 funding supports space segment long-lead parts purchases, space vehicle bus and main mission payload assembly, integration and test, and early on-orbit initialization studies for up to three (3) vendors to support the first Epoch 1 launch in FY 2026. Using a Combined Program Office (CPO) construct, SSC, SDA, and the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) are teaming to develop and implement a system-of-systems integration strategy across for MW/MT/MD constellations supporting LEO, MEO, and GEO/Polar orbit regimes. Resilient MW/MT - MEO Epoch 1 is comprised of multiple space and ground lines of effort to include following space items: - Space vehicle development efforts are currently underway with two (2) vendors [Raytheon (RTN) and Millennium Space Systems (MSS)] with contract options currently in place to deliver six (6) space vehicles. An additional three (3) space vehicles are required to close the MSS solution. With a congressional add in FY 2023, the program office is accelerating by placing an additional three (3) space vehicles on contract by 4Q FY 2023. - Delivery of nine (9) total space vehicles [three (3) Raytheon and six (6) Millennium] includes: design, build, hardware integration, testing, delivery, launch vehicle integration, space vehicle launch & early orbit operations, calibration, tuning, flying, and delivery of formatted two-dimensional tracks into the Real-Time Transfer Service (RTS) for incorporation with other sensors data necessary for warning/tracking requirements and operations. - FY 2023 congressional add allows for contract award for a third vendor previously identified in the original Epoch 1 source selection. Award decision for additional Epoch 1 spacecraft, beyond the nine (9) planned, is scheduled to occur NET September 4Q FY 2023 to one of three (3) potential vendors based on performance to-date. To support this plus up, the PEO directed 10M in additional funds to accelerate Epoch 1 FY 2023 developments. Space acquisition teams 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 existing capabilities. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver MW/MT 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
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2024
- Source ID
- 657MEO_1206447SF_5_3620F_PB_2024
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