SPACE

OPERATIONS
USSPACECOM
 Established in 1985

 CINC: General R.E. Eberhart

 Oversee and manage Department

of Defense space forces
SPACECOM Mission
 Support the North American Aerospace
Defense Command (NORAD)
 Advocates space requirements for the
CINCs
 Plans strategic ballistic missile defense
(BMD)
 Conducts space operations (space control,
space force application, space force
support, space force enhancement)
SPACECOM Support
Structure
 To CINCs and JTFs for planning:
 Space Planning Support Teams (SPSTs)

 To JTFs for execution & C4I

integration:
 Forward Space Support in Theater teams
(FSSTs)
 Space Support Teams
Functional Areas of
Space Operations
 Combat Functional Areas:

 Space-based Combat Support (SBCS) –

Information derived from or services
provided by on-orbit systems to the
MAGTF
 Space-based Fire Support (SBFS) –
Offensive and defensive fires delivered by
space-based platforms in support of the
MAGTF
 Counterspace Operations (CSO) – Deny or
thwart enemy access to or use of space
and to protect our own space capabilities
Functional Areas of
Space Operations
 Mission Support Functional Area:

 Space Operations Mission Support

(SOMS)- provides the means to
conduct the three combat functional
areas. Includes launch, command
and control, telemetry, and on-orbit
control.
Space Hardware
 Navigation
 Communications
 Environmental
 Missile Warning
 Military ISR
 2006 Space Control Systems
 Launch Vehicles
 Navigation (GPS)

 Fullconstellation of satellites (4
sats x 6 planes) = 24 satellites on
orbit; 3 on orbit spares
 Primarily Block IIF w/Anti-jam
capability
 Communications

 Advanced EHF - Follow-on to MILSTAR

 EHF Polar
 SHF Gap filler: Augment DSCS
 Mobile User Objective System
 Defense Satellite Comm System (DSCS) III
 UHF Follow-on (UHF-F/O)
 Space Based Data Relay System
 Replaces TDRSS
 Communication: Rest of
World

 High capacity GEO COMSATs lease channels

 Civil, commercial, and multi-national
 Proliferated receive stations, but limited transmit & control
nodes
 Lower bandwidth commercial LEO COMSATs
 Voice, low/medium data rate (text messages, fax, small
imagery files)
 User encryption available
 All subject to jamming
 Environmental

 National Polar Orbiting Earth Surveillance

System (NPOESS) fully operational
 Defense Meteorological Satellite Program
(DMSP) -- last 2 on-orbit
 Serve as residual/augmentation to NPOESS
 Geostationary Operational Environmental
Satellite (GOES) fully operational
 GEO Wx available from Japan and
Europe; Russia, China, India possible
 Missile Warning

 Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS)

 Multi-Mission Mobile Processor (M3P)

 Space Based Infrared
System
 System Fully Deployed (24 LEO, 5 GEO,
2 HEO)
 Provides worldwide missile warning
 Provides longer track time than current DSP

 Providesincreased warning
time directly to the
warfighter
 Multi-Mission Mobile
Processor (M3P)
 Mobile SBIRS Ground Processing System for
Theater Missile Defense
 System replaces current Joint Tactical Ground Station
(JTAGS) capability
 Provides immediate theater missile warning
 Provides Theater Commander
and JFACC immediate
knowledge of missile launch
and impact locations
 Military ISR

 Discoverer II (Capability)
 2 Proof-of-Concept satellites for SAR and MTI
 Launched in 2003 & 2004
 Minimum Military utility
 4-6 needed to support minimum

military mission
 2006 Space Control
Systems

 Ground Based Laser (GBL)

 Airborne Laser (ABL)

 Microsats
 Ground Based Laser
 2 Multi-Megawatt Lasers
 Phaser - White Sands, NM
 Photon - Arizona desert outside Davis Monthan AFB
 Able to degrade or
destroy enemy satellites
 Drawbacks
 Geometry
 Fuel
 Cooling
 Airborne Laser
 Provides Theater Missile Defense & ASAT
Capability
 Drawbacks
 Number of Aircraft (7 Total)
 Flight time
 Refueling
 Pluses
 Electric and Chemical lasers
 Designate and/or Destroy
 Microsats

 Anti-satellite (ASAT) Payloads

 Microsat Kinetic Kill Payload (MKKP)
 Blocker
 Jammer
 Space Object Identification Payload (SOIP)
 Docker
 Microsat Electro-optical Payload (MEOP)
 Microsat
Microsat Kinetic
Kinetic Kill
Kill
Payload
Payload (MKKP)
(MKKP)
 Mission: Destruction of Enemy Spacecraft
 Up to 10 can be placed in orbit in 1 SMV using
rotary launcher
 Target data passed to MKKP while in the SMV
 Autonomous after launch
 Identifies Target
 Initiates hyper-velocity “tail chase”
 Real-time imagery provides damage
assessment
 Blocker
Blocker

 Mission: Deprive enemy access to their own

spacecraft by radio frequency blocking.
 Up to 10 can be deployed from a single SMV
from a microsat dispenser
 Non-destructive to enemy satellite Blocker with

 Autonomous after deployment fan deployed

 Identifies subject satellite

 Maneuvers to subject satellite
 Deploys a circular, gimbaled, radio
opaque fan structure
 Jammer
Jammer
 Mission: Deprive enemy access to their own spacecraft by
radio frequency jamming.
 Up to 10 can be deployed from a single SMV from a microsat
dispenser
 Non-destructive to enemy satellite
 Autonomous after deployment
 Identifies subject satellite
 Maneuvers to subject satellite
 Deploys antenna - jams
satellite uplink & downlink signals
 Space
Space Object
Object
Identification
Identification Payload
Payload
(SOIP)
(SOIP)
 Mission: Visual observation of enemy
spacecraft
 Up to 10 SOIPs may be deployed from 1 SMV
by microsat dispenser
 Non-destructive to enemy satellite
 Autonomous after deployment
 Maneuvers to within 50 miles of
subject satellite (1” resolution)
 Identifies changes or maneuvers
 Follows subject satellite
 Docker
Docker

 Mission: Docking with and/or re-orientation of

enemy spacecraft
 Up to 10 Dockers can be deployed from 1 SMV
 May be destructive to enemy spacecraft
 Autonomous after deployment
 Maneuvers to enemy satellite
 Uses “grapple fixture” to attach
itself to enemy satellite
 Benignly causes disorientation or
fires thrusters
 Microsat
Microsat Electro-
Electro-
optical
optical Payload
Payload
(MEOP)
(MEOP)
 Mission: Real-time observation of
terrestrial assets from space.
 Less than 1m resolution
 Based on commercial capabilities
 Used to augment other space
capabilities or provide increased
support to theater
 Allows direct tasking by theater
 Evolved Expendable
Launch Vehicles
(EELVs)
 2 families of EELVs
 Atlas 5
 Delta 4
 Both families have medium and heavy lift
capabilities
 Air Force purchases commercial
launch services as any other
purchaser
 Specific number of government
launches manifested each year
 Re-useable
Launch Vehicles

 Space Operations Vehicle (SOV)

 Space Maneuver Vehicle (SMV)

 VentureStar
 Sub-Orbital Space
Operations Vehicle
(SOV)
 Demonstrator for next generation / full
orbital capability SOV
 Vertical launch single stage
 12,000 to 250,000 lbs lift capability
 1 SMV, 2-3 CAVs East w/MIS (Modular
Insertion Stage), 1-2 CAVs West w/MIS
 Based at Holloman &
Minot AFBs
Space Maneuver Vehicle
(SMV)
 Reusable satellite bus w/integral
propulsion & power systems
 Launchable on SOV, Peacekeeper,
EELV-Medium
 Carries up to 10 Microsats or rotary
launcher
 Can remain on orbit up to
1 year
 VentureStar

A totally commercial re-useable

launch vehicle on which the US
Government purchases launch
services
 A specific number of government
launches are manifested each
year.
Nuclear Force Application

 Nuclear forces consistent with

START II
 500 Minuteman missiles w/ single
warhead
 14 Trident submarines, 24 tubes
each, 5 warheads/ tube