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SBIRS HEO - High Earth Orbit

SBIRS HEO sensor is a scanning sensor similar to the GEO scanner with sensor pointing performed by slewing the full telescope on a gimbal. The GEO scanning sensor will provide a shorter revisit time than that of DSP over its full field of view, while the staring sensor will be used for step-stare or dedicated stare operations over smaller areas. SBIRS GEO and HEO sensor raw unprocessed data will be down-linked to the ground, so that the same radiometric scene observed in space will be available on the ground. The first SBIRS HEO payload was delivered in August 2004 for integration and the second HEO payload was delivered in September 2005. The sensor sensitivity exceeded the specification for both payloads.

The HEO 1 sensor was the first major deliverable for Increment 2 and the first near-term deliverable to measure the program's progress. As a part of the restructuring, the delivery of this sensor to the host satellite was delayed from its original date in February 2002 to February 2003. At that time, program officials were confident of meeting the new delivery date. However, significant deficiencies were revealed during systems tests in November 2002 making it apparent that the February 2003 date would not be met, and delivery was postponed another 2 months.

In May 2003, the Program Director reported that the delays were due to a series of design deficiencies. For example, the design to control the sensor's electromagnetic interference (EMI) was inadequate. Specifically, Lockheed Martin identified 148 offending EMI frequencies that exceeded the tolerances established by the host satellite. These excessive frequencies could interfere with the operations of the host satellite and jeopardize its mission. Thirty-nine design modifications to the HEO sensor were made, which eliminated 80 percent of these noise conditions. However, the final EMI test, completed in early July 2003, identified seven remaining EMI frequencies that were not within tolerance -- two of which appeared to be attributable to the HEO sensor. Since the problems cannot be resolved and there is no expected impact on performance, the Program Director requested waivers for the offending frequencies to allow the sensor to be integrated onto the host satellite. According to a program official, the waivers have been approved and the first HEO sensor is now expected to be delivered on December 6, 2003, provided no additional testing is needed.

The HEO 1 design problems were attributable to weaknesses in earlier program management processes. Under these processes, the program tried to achieve efficiencies by cutting back on detailed design analyses and component testing. The exact costs associated with these weaknesses are unclear. GAO's independent estimate -- using data from the contractor's June 2003 cost performance report -- indicatedin 2004 that the development of HEO 1 will overrun the contract amount at completion by about $25 million to $54 million, and that additional costs associated with HEO 2 rework would be between $20 million and $80 million. The Program Office is currently assessing estimates of total cost impact.

On November 18, 2003 the Department of Defense released details on major defense acquisition program cost and schedule changes since the June 2003 reporting period. The Selected Acquisition Report (SAR) submitted reported schedule slips of nine months (from May 2003 to February 2004) for the Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) Sensor 1 Delivery and 10 months (from November 2004 to September 2005) for the HEO Message Certification. HEO Sensor 1 Delivery has slipped due to a series of design deficiencies, technical issues identified during final performance testing, and problems meeting the Electromagnetic Interference specification. HEO Message Certification delays are due to the late delivery of the HEO 1 sensor payload and launch delays. No cost changes were reported.

Although the Air Force acted to reduce risks in the SBIRS program and has had some successes, the program still faced risk of not delivering promised capabilities within its revised goals. A December 2005 Acquisition Decision Memorandum (ADM) directed that maintaining schedule, even at the sacrifice of performance, should be the key to program management. The Restructured Acquisition Baseline included up to 3 GEO satellites and 2 highly elliptical orbit (HEO) sensors on classified hosts. To reduce risk, the SBIRS program cut back on quantity and capability in the face of escalating costs. It deferred capabilities, such as mobile data processors for the Air Force and the Army and a fully compliant backup mission control facility, and it pushed off a decision to procure the third and fourth satellites. Milestone Decision Authority will decide whether to procure GEO 3 based on the performance of GEO 1. Worldwide system requirements can not be met with 3 GEO satellites -- a constellation of 4 satellites is needed -- and so a plan for follow-on missile warning satellites is needed.

However, about 11 months after the most recent SBIRS program's restructuring, a November 2006 assessment report by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) showed that some efforts within the program were experiencing significant cost increases and schedule overruns and that the outlook is worsening.

In November 2006, the Air Force announced the successful on-orbit check-out of HEO-1. The HEO payload detects ballistic missile launches from northern polar regions as it operates in a highly inclined elliptical orbit. The first of a new generation of SBIRS sensors, this payload has improved sensitivity to detect dim theater missiles and can be tasked to scan off pole areas of military interest.

Mission NROL-28 is believed to be a signals intelligence satellite bearing an attached Space-Based Infrared System Highly Elliptical Orbit payload for missile defense. This would be the second SBIRS HEO payload; the first was lofted June 27, 2006 for the NRO as part of the NROL-22 mission that inaugurated West Coast operations for Delta IV.