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2/19/13 FOCUS ON: Space Tracking and Surveillance System : MilsatMagazine

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FOCUS ON: Space Tracking and Surveillance SystemExcerpted from the Department of Defenses Missile Defense Agencys STSS Fact Sheet and their BMDS Booklet

entitled Missile DefenseWorldwide

The United States, in active partnership wi th its allies , has fielded an initial la yered

integrated Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). The United States has come a long

way since President Ronald Reagan first delivered his challenge to the defense community 25 years agoto develop

antiballistic miss ile technologies to im prove our national security and lessen our reliance on nuclear deterrence. Althou

the nature of the threat has changed subs tantially since he envisioned the Strategic Defense Initiative, the harsh realities

of todays global security environment push the United States to field missile defenses as soon as poss ible.

Ballistic missile

defense is one of the most complex and challenging

missions in the Department of Defense (DoD). A ballistic

miss iles altitude, speed, and range leave a defender

little time to react. To meet this challenge, the Missile

Defense Agency (MDA) is developing a layered,

integrated system capable of destroying a ballistic

miss ile in each of three distinct phases of flightboost,

midcourse, and terminal. The system requires accurate

miss ile identification and tracking with advanced

sensors ; advanced interceptor missiles or directed

energy weapons (e.g., lasers ); and reliable Command

and Control, Battle Management, and Com munications

(C2BMC) to integrate the system and direct the

engagement.

With the initial field ing of the BMDS in July 2006, the

United States now has a limited defense agains t ballistic miss ile attack. This initial capability provides a defense agains t short- and medium-range ballis ti

missiles using PATRIOT Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missiles and Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Standard Missile-3 (SM-3). The initial

capability also enables engagement of intermediate-range and intercontinental ballistic miss iles in the midcourse phase us ing Ground-Based Interceptors

(GBIs). These layers are integrated through an advanced C2BMC network.

The Agencys mis sionto develop and field an integrated, layered BMDS to defend the United States, its deployed forces, allies, and friends agains t all

ranges of mis siles in all phases of flightis more relevant now than ever before. The years ahead will be demanding as MDA continues the tough task of

developing, testing, and enhancing our worldwide ballistic missile defenses .

Download Edition

Contents

Priority Briefings

General Michael Hame l

Brigadier General Ellen M.

Pawlikowski

General James Armor

(Ret.)

Features

The SWap Meet

Military Satellite History

Focus On

Space Tracking &

Surveillance

TSAT Technology is

Mature

Executive Spotlight

Gregory Smo lka

Regular DepartmentsProduction Notes

Calendar Of Events

Pas t News

May 2008 Edition - The Military Market

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STSS Satellite, Cycle 1, Flights

1 and 2

Credit: Northrop Grumman

Hot from the Miss ile Defense Agency is their latest Fact Sheetand BMDS Booklet entitled Missile DefenseWorldwide. These publications inform interest

parties of the agencys purs uit of the Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS) program as a space-bas ed sensor component of the Ballistic

Missile Defense System. The STSS program uses sensors capable of detecting visible and in frared light. STSS will become part of a constellation of land,

sea, air, and space-based Ballis tic Miss ile Defense System sens ors.

During 2008, two research and development satellites will be launched via Delta II launch vehicle into low earth orbit,

with a ground segm ent developed to operate the satellites. This ground s egment will also be des igned for re-use

with subsequent research and development satellites. The STSS ground station will become operational

approximately one year prior to the launch date, which will allow for adequate time to train the operators. The ground

segmen t will communicate with the miss ile defense Com mand, Control, Battle Management, and Communication

system.

The STSS Demonstration Program will demo the key functions of a s pace-

based sensor. Miss ile tracking data will be pass ed to missile defense

interceptors with the accuracy and timeliness necessary to enable them to

success fully intercept miss ile targets. The less ons learned from the on-orbit operation of the demo s atellites will

provide a sound foundation to proceed with the fielding of an operational constellation.

In the initial program, the demo sa tellites a re comprised of refurbished hardware that was originally built as flight demo satellites. STSS will perform on-orb

testing of sensor performance agains t ground targets, airborne targets, as well as short and long-range ballis tic miss ile targets. The demo s atellites are

expected to be available for between two to four years after their launch.

The Future Developm ent Program of STSS will use the less ons learned from des ign, development, and early on-orbit testing of the demo satellites and us e

that data to upgrade the system. Through ground s tation and spacecraft software upgrades, this effort will improve the Dem onstration Satellite experiment,

reduce risk for the STSS follow-on program, and improve the contingency operations capability.

The Follow-On Program will find the MDA continuing to plan for the operational constellation of STSS satellites to enable m iss ile tracking. There will be

improvements made in sa tellite lifetime, producibility, and the ability to process and comm unicate miss ile-tracking data to interceptors.

Ballistic Missile Defense Space Sensors

The MDA Space Applications Product Center of Excellence is res ponsible for leading a m ulti-agency DoD and industry team in developing, testing, and

deploying space systems to detect and track ballistic miss iles from launch through midcourse flight and eventual intercept or reentry. Miss ion objectives

include developing space technologies that support MDAs s pace ass ets, including sensors, space qualified componen ts, optics, and algorithms .
http://www.miteq.com/


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NFIRE satellite with Track Sensor

Payload (SAIC) and Laser

Communications Terminal (Tesat-

Spacecom)

Credit: GDC4S

The Missile Defense Agencys NFIRE

satellite lifted off aboard an Air Force

Minotaur 1 rocket April 24 from NASAs

Wallops Flight Facility on the east coast of

Virginia.

Photo courtesy of NASA

Raytheons advanced

STSS Block 06

Sensor Suit

Image: Raytheon

Raytheons STSS Block 06

program extends the reach and

effectiveness of the Ballistic

Missile Defense System, enabling

The Space Applications Center of Excellence will play a lead role in any future space initiatives undertaken by MDA and facilitate the integration of external

Overhead Non-Imaging Infrared (ONIR) sens ors.

Program Description

Each of the two low earth orbit research and demo s atellites us e an acquisition s ensor for mis sile launch detection and a movable tracking sensor to follow

midcourse objects in s pace. The STSS demonstration satellites will demonstrate the ability to pass m iss ile-tracking data to system interceptors with the

accuracy and timeliness necessary to enable them to succes sfully intercept missile targets. MDA will be able to make m ore informed decisions regarding t

fielding of satellites for the operational architecture as the data is obtained from these s atellites.

The Missile Defense Space Experimentation Center(MDSEC) in Colorado Springs , Colorado is the integration

center for MDAs Space Applications Center of Excellence, which provides a single location for operating STSS

and Near-Field Infrared Experiment(NFIRE) satellites and for conducting space-related Research Development

Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) activities in support of the missile defense m iss ion.

The NFIREsatellite, built by General Dynamics Advanced

Information Systems , was launched on April 24, 2007 and

will reduce the risk to next-generation BMDS interceptors

on land, at sea, and in space by collecting s ignature data

on boosting ballistic miss iles at close range in real-world

conditions. The data collected will anchor design tools for

future interceptor hardware, software, and algorithm

development. NFIRE also will provide MDA with early experience coordinating space assets with BMD

flight tests.

The objective of the Space Test Bed is to evaluate the utility and cost-effectiveness of enhancing m iss

defense by adding a comprehens ive space layer to overcome bas ing and geographical lim itations of

land, sea, and airborne defenses . The evaluation would include multi-use s ensors and C2BMC.

Contributions To The BMDS

MDA Space Sensors will play a s ignificant role in a global m iss ile defense capability by providing

continuous tracking of ballistic missiles and pass ing tracking information to BMDS radars and

interceptors. Accurate tracking data provided by space sens ors will increase the robus tness of the

BMDS, allow additional and earlier intercept opportunities, and provide coverage in locations

inaccessible to

BMDS radars year 2007 accomplishments:

Completed NFIRE satellite integration and ground testing

Launched NFIRE satellite and began operating from the MDSEC

Continued integration and testing of two Space Trackin and Surveillance System Demons tration s atellites

Delivered payload #2 to s pace vehicle integration

Completed thermal vacuum testing on both s atellites

Completed final acceptance of ground software

The Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) program is developing and fielding a capability to defend the United States against intermediate- and

long-range ballistic miss ile attacks in the midcourse phas e of flight.

GMD uses a variety of satellites and radars (Cobra Dane Radar, Upgraded Early

Warning Radars, Sea-Based X-Band Radar, Forward-Based AN/TPY-2 Radar, and

theAegis AN/SPY-1 Radar) to obtain information on launch warning, tracking,

targeting, and dis crimination via the Command and Control, Battle Management,

and Comm unications system and the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense Fire

Control and Communications com ponent. This information enables the Ground-

Based Interceptor(GBI) to locate, identify, and destroy the incoming ballistic

missile warhead.


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intercept events from lounch

through midcourse and

coordination with ground-based

platforms.

Image: Raytheon

The Contracting Authority is the Miss ile Defense Agency (MDA) through the U.S. Air Force Space & Miss ile

Systems Center (SMC), El Segundo, California. MDA plans to eventually expand STSS to at least 18 satellites in

order to cover key threat regions such as Asia and the Middle East. STSS will achieve worldwide coverage once

30 satellites are deployed.

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