Sensor Service Life Extension Program
Abstract
In FY 2021, PE 1203940F, Space Situation Awareness Operations, Project 67A017, Sensor Service Life Extension Program efforts were transferred to Appropriation 3620, Research, Development, Test & Evaluation, Space Force, PE 1203940SF, Space Situation Awareness Operations, Project 67A017, Sensor Service Life Extension Program from Appropriation 3600, Budget Activity 07 due to the creation of a new Appropriation for Space Force. Space Situational Awareness (SSA) is knowledge of all aspects of space related to operations. As the foundation for space control, SSA encompasses surveillance of all space objects and activities; detailed reconnaissance of specific space assets; monitoring space environmental conditions; monitoring cooperative space assets; gathering intelligence on adversary space operations; and conducting integrated command, control, communications, processing, analysis, dissemination, and archiving activities. SSA also encompasses the integration, exploitation and delivery of data sources to facilitate the battle management and command and control of space forces. This program element fields, upgrades, modifies, modernizes, operationalizes, operates and maintains Space Force sensors and information integration capabilities within the SSA Space Surveillance Network (SSN) while companion program element 1206425F, Space Situational Awareness Systems, develops new network sensors and improved information integration capabilities across the network. Activities funded in this program element (1203940SF) focus on surveillance of objects in earth orbit to aid tasks including satellite tracking; space object identification; tracking and cataloging; satellite attack warning; notification of satellite flyovers to U.S. forces; space treaty monitoring; and technical intelligence gathering. Service Life Extension Programs (SLEPs) are efforts to upgrade, operationalize and extend the life of operational SSA sensors. These SLEPs extend the serviceable life of assets and maintain critical capability by replacing aging and increasingly unsustainable components with modern and sustainable equipment. In addition, the SLEPs themselves may be designed to increase capabilities not currently realized. As the need arises in the execution year, funds in this project may be used to begin SLEPs on additional efforts. These efforts may include prototyping and technology demonstrations. Global Sensor Watch (GSW) Program provides an integrated SSA Tip & Cue capability that implements a survivable architecture providing overlapping, assured, and viable surveillance options for executing event response, multiple level security processing of SSA data and automated cross-sensor tipping & cueing worldwide. Other efforts to support Battle Management Command & Control (BMC2) in space include developing & deploying advanced software algorithms to identify, acquire, characterize, and maintain custody of both space objects of interest and new foreign launches; enhancing space environmental monitoring solutions; optimizing commercial, intelligence community (IC) & Missile Defense Agency sensors to better support BMC2; developing & executing Joint Functional Space Component Command (JFSCC) exercises such as Combined Space Operations Center and National Space Defense Center Experimentation, Test and Training Initiative to test & optimize Space Control capabilities, Concept of Operations (CONOPS) development to increase probability of survival for blue assets, and refining requirements across the space enterprise; enhancing sensor performance to close the solar exclusion gap leveraging technologies such as optical daylight tracking and incorporating commercial & IC sensors; and improving legacy paths to support bi-directional machine-to-machine sensor communications enabling a more complete BMC2 capability. Space Surveillance Telescope (SST) provides rapid un-cued search, detection and tracking of dim objects in deep space and offers enhanced capabilities addressing critical space situational awareness gaps. Ground Based Radar Upgrades improves the sensitivity, search capabilities and CONOPS of existing ground-based SSA sensors to better support custody and fire control timelines. The FY 2021 funding request was reduced by $3.446 million to account for the availability of prior year execution balances. Programs and projects in the space warfighting enterprise are evaluating ways to maximize innovation, resiliency, and our ability to rapidly respond to known and emerging threats. Space enterprise efforts aim to execute technology risk reduction efforts, integration of new or repurposed capabilities, enterprise decision-making tools, experimentation, and rapid prototyping and fielding via all appropriate acquisition authorities and contract mechanisms. Space acquisition must respond with speed and agility to emerging adversary threats. Space & Missile Systems Center (SMC) is transforming 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, SMC 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 the weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program elements 120639S2F and 1206398SF. This program is in Budget Activity 7, Operational System Development because this budget activity includes development efforts to upgrade systems that have been fielded or have received approval for full rate production and anticipate production funding in the current or subsequent fiscal year.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2021
- Source ID
- 67A017_1203940SF_7_3620F_PB_2021
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