Hard.Copy - 31 October 1997
ARTICLE CITATIONS GATHERED FROM COMMERCIALLY PUBLISHED JOURNALS AND NEWSLETTERS.TMD Programs To Get Boost Under New Fast Track Bill. Aerospace Daily, Oct 27, 1997, pp 139-139A Rep. Curt Weldon will introduce fast track legislation to infuse funding into key theater missile defense programs to accelerate development of a system to protect the US and Israel from Iranian ballistic missiles. The programs which would be getting a funding boost include; Arrow, THAAD, Navy Upper Tier, PAC-3, and Launch Detection/Battle Management. Navy, Boeing Complete End-To-End SLAM-ER Test. Aerospace Daily, Oct 27, 1997, pp 142-143 The first end-to-end free flight test of SLAM-ER was conducted on October 16, 1997 at the Naval Air Weapons Center, Point Mugu, Calif. BMDO To Report On Upgrading Of Navy Upper Tier To NMD. Aerospace Daily, Oct 28, 1997, pp 145, 148 BMDO must report to Congress by next Feb. 15 on the possibility of upgrading the Navy theater-wide system to a limited national missile defense role. This report is to address technical issues associated with a sea-based NMD option and whether and how it would provide additional capabilities. Legislation Boosting TMD Programs To Be Introduced Today. Aerospace Daily, Oct 28, 1997, p 148 Rep. Weldon says he will introduce legislation to accelerate theater missile programs under the "Iran Missile Protection Act of 1997". Some of the programs that would be given a boost include the Arrow, THAAD, and PAC-3 programs. ABL Spec Understates Atmospheric Turbulence, GAO Says. Aerospace Daily, Oct 28, 1997, p 151 The GAO charged that the design specifications used by the USAF for the ABL understate the atmospheric turbulence and that some methods to gather data aren't necessarily appropriate. In the GAO report" Theater Missile Defense: Significant Technical Challenges Face the Airborne Laser Program" the claim is made that the turbulence the ABL may encounter could be four times greater than the design specifications. New Bill Speeding Key TMD Programs Requires $325 Million. Aerospace Daily, Oct 29, 1997, pp 153-154 Legislation to accelerate development of theater missile defense systems to protect Israel and US forces in the Middle East from an Iranian ballistic missile threat projected to materialize within a year will require $325 million in new funding. Conferees Try To Keep Clementine 2 Alive Despite Line-Item Veto. Aerospace Daily, Oct 29, 1997, pp 153, 155A In a move to get around President Clinton's line-item veto of the Clementine 2 interceptor program, the FY98 defense authorization conference approved restructuring the effort. Among other things the conference also adopted a House provision that would eliminate deployment dates for certain core theater missile defense programs. Airborne Laser Tested, Weighed For New Missions. Aviation Week & Space Technology, Oct 27, 1997, pp 26-28 Extensive research, completed since June, shows that the laser beam holds together enough at ranges "greater than 400 km. [250 mi.]" to destroy a ballistic missile within a few seconds, said Col. Michael Booen, the program director for ABL. Program officials are conducting a study of additional missions for the YAL-1A. The five areas in the study that have shown promise are; imaging and reconnaissance, cruise missile defense, suppression of air defenses, self-protection from SAMs, suppression of air defenses, and a command and control mission. Laser Engages Satellite, With Questionable Results. Aviation Week & Space Technology, Oct 27, 1997, p 27 MIRACL fired at MSTI-3 on the evening of Oct. 17, when it was about 60-70 deg. above the horizon, using various power levels. The satellite and the indium antimonide mid-infrared sensor were not damaged. However, it was not clear late last week whether any useful data were received from the satellite. One government official reported that the data-gathering was unsuccessful. A separate ground-based tracker did detect that the laser had hit the satellite. There were also reports that MIRACL was damaged by the test, but was "fixable" the Pentagon official said. Army Successfully Fires MIRACL Laser At Satellite. Defense Daily, Oct 21, 1997, p 1 The Army successfully fired its Mid-Range Infrared Chemical Laser (MIRACL) on 10/17/97. No additional MIRACL tests are planned. Navy Management Of Missile Programs Given High Marks. Defense Daily, Oct 21, 1997, p 6 According to a recent audit by the DoD IG, the Navy's approach for missile program management could serve as an example to the other services. The report is titled: Transition of Navy Missile Acquisition Programs for Program Management Offices to Support Commands, Report No. 98-004. Lawmakers Say Line-Item Veto Misused On Defense Bills. Defense Daily, Oct 23, 1997, pp 1-3 Members of the HNSC charged that President Clinton misused his line-item veto authority on the FY98 defense spending bills. North Korean Missiles Target Alaska, Japan, Defectors Say. Defense Daily, Oct 23, 1997, p 7 On Tuesday two North Korean defectors testified to Congress that North Korea is targeting ballistic missiles at American forces in South Korea, Japan, Guam and Alaska. Bill Would Authorize $390 Million For Iran Missile Threat. Defense Daily, Oct 29, 1997, pp 1-2 In response to reports of Iran's imminent fielding of mid- to long-range ballistic missile, the Iran Missile Protection Act of 1997 (IMPACT 97) has been introduced. The bill would authorize $390m in funding in an effort to accelerate US theater missile defense programs such as THAAD, Navy Theater Wide, the Israeli Arrow program and the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3). U.S. Expert Debates North Korean Defectors' Testimony. Defense News, Oct 28, 1997, p 17 The portrait that North Korean leaders are obsessed with missile production to fuel a strategy based on a quick first strike may be somewhat abstract. Their appearance marks the first time North Korean defectors testified before a congressional committee. One of their claims that North Korea has nuclear warheads is unverifiable. Space Sentries. IEEE Spectrum, Sep 01, 1997, pp 50-59 This article discusses the DoD's plans for new suites of early warning and missile tracking satellites, space weather probes, orbiting laser weapons and antisatellite weapons. A history of early warning and missile detection systems is included. With Less Than Two Months To Go Before Report Is Issued: National Defense Panel Draws Sharp Criticism For Skirting Specifics. Inside the Pentagon, Oct 23, 1997, pp 1, 12-13 The National Defense Panel (NDP) is already attracting some criticism on the group's intention to avoid laying out specific force structure alternatives for the military. Instead the NDP is recommending a broader "transformation strategy" that the Pentagon could then use to adapt to the requirements of future warfighting. Air Force, Navy Bicker Over Data On JASSM/SLAM-ER Analysis. Inside the Pentagon, Oct 23, 1997, pp 5-6 The Navy and AF remain at odds over the Navy's provision of data on its SLAM-ER plus. AF officials have accused the Navy of dragging their heels on providing SLAM-ER Plus notional performance data in an effort to degrade quality of analysis in the AOA. Navy maintains that JASSM is not a priority and that resources and personnel are being put more appropriately in SLAM-ER. Services, BMDO Say Current Push For Common Interceptors Is "Disruptive". Inside the Pentagon, Oct 23, 1997, p 11 The emphasis on developing a common kill vehicle for both THAAD and Navy Theater Wide programs is "disruptive" to both and should be refocused to center on component technology insertion initiatives, according to top BMDO officials. Iranian Test-Firings Back 'Missile Power' Claim. Jane's Defence Weekly, Oct 29, 1997, p 4 The official Islamic Republic News Agency quoted RADM Mohammad Razi Hadayeq, as saying that the Qa'areh (Striker) system has been upgraded and will now be deployed. RADM Hadayeq, who heads the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' navy's missile forces, said the Qa'areh and other systems by Iran have "turned the Islamic republic into the strongest missile power in the region." No specifications of the Qa'areh were listed, but the implication was that the "upgrade" was performed domestically. Missile Base Will Extend Korean Reach. Jane's Defence Weekly, Oct 29, 1997, p 6 North Korean defector Ko Young-hwan told US Senate Governmental Affairs Committee that military construction projects for long-range missile sites that have been completed, including: an underground Taepo Dong missile base capable of striking Japan, a site at Chungganjin that can target US troops on Okinawa, and an intermediate range missile base on Mt Kanggamchan located in South Pyogan province. His testimony could not be independently verified. MIRACL Fails To Meet Test Objectives Again. Jane's Defence Weekly, Oct 29, 1997, p 11 The laser did succeed in illuminating the MSTI-3 satellite for several short bursts of less than five seconds. However, the satellite could not downlink data to the ground because it was still processing some commands for the ground to adjust the medium wavelength camera on the satellite. Nonetheless, DoD officials said they learned some useful data from ground sensors. Japan's Third Way: Seeking A Robust BMD. Jane's IDR Extra, Volume 2, No. 10, Oct 01, 1997, pp 1-7 Article examines Chinese and North Korean ballistic missile threats and reviews Japan's BMD options including; adapting the sea-based Aegis combat system, employing a land-based THAAD system for upper tier and a third option of mixing both systems. MSX Mission Objectives. Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest, Jan 01, 1996, pp 4-10 The Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) satellite, funded and managed by the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, is a long duration, "observatory"-style measurement platform that will collect several terabytes of high-quality data on terrestrial, Earth-limb, and celestial backgrounds; Intercontinental Ballistic Missile-style targets; and resident space objects. Whereas the principal focus of MSX is to collect phenomenology data in support of ballistic missile defense objectives, it will also gather carefully calibrated data in support of civilian efforts in terrestrial and atmospheric remote sensing and astronomy. This article focuses on the DoD mission objectives of the MSX program. MSX Design Parameters Driven By Targets And Backgrounds. Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest, Jan 01, 1996, pp 11-18 The underlying requirements for demonstrating space-based surveillance, acquisition, tracking, and discrimination of ballistic reentry vehicles and penetration aids were followed in the design of the Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) satellite and sensors. MSX will be the first space experiment to correlate optical contamination (changes in nonrejected Earth radiance) with the satellite environment. MSX Spacecraft Power Subsystem. Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest, Jan 01, 1996, pp 77-87 The Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) spacecraft is the fourth in a series of APL spacecraft sponsored by the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization. Though similar to its predecessors in mission objectives, the MSX differs notably in the performance and environmental requirements that drive the design of the electrical power subsystem (EPS). The MSX EPS design demonstrates a viable concept in power system engineering to meet the requirements of highly diverse, high-power, low Earth orbit applications. MSX Flight Operations System. Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest, Jan 01, 1996, pp 102-116 The Midcourse Space Experiment spacecraft is operated by a multi-organizational Flight Operations system, which is a worldwide ground network of tracking stations and planning, control, performance assessment, and data processing centers. This system prepares and conducts scientific and engineering experiments and recovers the necessary data to satisfy the requirements of the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization. The elements of this operations-based system include teams, facilities, procedures, and their functional relationships, which collectively provide continuous on-orbit support of the spacecraft system. Midcourse Space Experiment: Guest Editor's Introduction. Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest, Apr 01, 1996, pp 134-136 This is the second issue describing the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX). It focuses on the technology used to implement the MSX Spacecraft Observatory. MSX Command And Data Handling System. Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest, Apr 01, 1996, pp 143-152 The Command and Data Handling System of the Midcourse Space Experiment provides spacecraft control and data collection, formatting, and onboard storage. It has embedded encryptors and decryptors to ensure communications security during the mission. The command and Data Handling System also maintains onboard time and performs autonomy rule checking of housekeeping data for fault protection. MSX Attitude Determination And Control Hardware. Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest, Apr 01, 1996, pp 153-160 The Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) satellite requires a complex and demanding attitude control system. Precise pointing ability is combined with substantial agility. The system must be able to point in the direction of a test ballistic missile launch, follow the predicted missile trajectory, and then receive closed-loop pointing instructions from the MSX optical and radio frequency sensors to follow the target as it proceeds on its ballistic trajectory. To meet this challenge, the MSX attitude control hardware is the most advanced in the industry. Testbed For The MSX Attitude And Tracking Processors. Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest, Apr 01, 1996, pp 161-172 The Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) spacecraft employs infrared, ultraviolet, and visible light sensors to collect images and spectrographic signatures on a variety of targets, especially missile, other satellites, and auroral phenomena. JHU APL designed and built an elaborate testbed for the key elements of the MSX attitude and tracking subsystems. The testbed provides the means to assess the performance of these subsystems through simulations of missile encounters and other data collection events. MSX Ground Operations. Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest, Apr 01, 1997, pp 173-188 The multidisciplinary nature of ground operations necessitates careful planning from the start of any space program. For the Midcourse Space Experiment, ground operations began at APL with integration and test and continued at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center with environmental and system-level electrical testing. The spacecraft and its ground support equipment were then flown to Vandenberg Air Force Base, where additional testing and simulations were conducted and the spacecraft was prepared for launch. MSX Performance Assurance Program. Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest, Apr 01, 1997, pp 189-197 The structure and organization of the Performance Assurance Program developed for the Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) spacecraft are discussed. Included is an overview of the engineering disciplines of the program: reliability, quality assurance, and system safety. The performance assurance role in each of the four MSX development phases is explained, followed by a review of MSX integration and test history as it relates to performance assurance. A discussion of lessons learned summarizes the results of the Performance Assurance Program. UVISI Instrument. Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest, Apr 01, 1996, pp 198-214 The Ultraviolet and Visible Imagers and Spectrographic Imagers (UVISI) instrument is a complex of nine sensor units (five spectrographic imagers and four imagers) and multiple processors that will provide detailed images and spectra of targets for the Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) mission. This article discusses the specifications of UVISI and its hardware and software features. It also attempts to give the reader a sense of the design trade-offs made during UVISI development that resulted in its present configuration. Spatial Infrared Imaging Telescope III. Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest, Apr 01, 1996, pp 215-225 The Spatial Infrared Imaging Telescope III (SPIRIT III) is a mid-wave through longwave infrared instrumentation package built and managed by the Space Dynamics Lab at Utah State University for the Midcourse Space Experiment. SPIRIT III contains a radiometer and an auto-aligning interferometer-spectrometer that share a telescope designed for high off-axis rejection. This hardware will measure the spectral, spatial, temporal, and intensity characteristics of Earth-limb backgrounds, celestial objects, and other upper atmospheric phenomena. Collected data will provide answers to fundamental questions about DoD surveillance systems and supply invaluable information for system planners and designers of future threat detection systems. Space-Based Visible Sensor. Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest, Apr 01, 1996, pp 226-236 The Space-Based Visible (SBV) instrument, a small visible-band surveillance sensor built by MIT's Lincoln Laboratory, is part of a sensor ensemble on the Midcourse Space Experiment satellite, a Ballistic Missile Defense Organization program. This article describes the flight configuration of the SBV sensor, its incorporated technologies, its preflight status, and the surveillance experiments to be performed. MSX Reference Objects. Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest, Apr 01, 1996, pp 246-252 This article considers two infrared sources, emissive reference spheres and reference stars, used for on-orbit calibration of the Midcourse Space Experiment's Spatial Infrared Imaging Telescope III. Critics Decry Clinton's Military Space Vetoes. Space News, Oct 20, 1997, pp 3,18 President Clinton's cancellation of the military space plane, the Clementine 2 mission and the Kinetic Energy Antisatellite (KEAsat) weapon has drawn much criticism from Congress. Congress has 30 days to overturn the veto with a new bill that would also be subject to a veto. Solar Arrays Could Show Deep Space Promise. Space News, Oct 27, 1997, p 22 When NASA's Deep Space 1 spacecraft is launched next year, the space agency is not the only organization taking a chance on the technology demonstration probe. Under a $6m contract with the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, AEC-Able Engineering Co. Inc is providing NASA with a pair of high power, refractive concentrator arrays as the probe's primary power source. Some U.S. Laser Data Lost During Test Firing At MSTI-3. Space News, Oct 7, 1997, p 28 During the 10/17/97 test of the Army's Mid Infrared Advanced Chemical Laser (MIRACL) direct imager of the high power laser firing from MSTI-3's main infrared sensor was not collected because of a data scheduling problem on the satellite.
