Space Control Mission Area
The Space Control Mission Area ensures the freedom of operations within and throughout the space medium, while denying its use to adversaries. As space has become an area of vital national interest, the United States must be prepared to protect and defend its space systems, including spacecraft, communications links, and ground segments.
Space Control includes three sub-missions: Space Situational Awareness (SSA), Defensive Counterspace (DCS) and Offensive Counterspace (OCS). SSA near-term modernization and materiel solutions include developing a constellation of space-based tracking/surveillance sensors. DCS near-term material solutions include developing a system to detect attacks on US space systems and improved processing for attack characterization. OCS near-term materiel solutions include developing ground systems for the temporary denial of space asset information to adversaries.
The Space Control includes the following interest areas: precise space navigation at GEO, high resolution imaging hardware, microsat buses, spacecraft power, spacecraft propulsion, radiation hardened FPGA/CPU technology, lightweight optics, mobile high power communications systems, high speed (gigabit/second) data links, signal processing hardware advancements, visible and IR sensors, radar/lidar, radar jammers and Architecture and Systems Engineering Concepts (e.g., modeling and simulation tools and technology development). Also of interest is material and technologies that enable rapid reaction OCS and DCS capabilities such as commercially available or rapid prototype terrestrial wideband SATCOM systems and components (e.g., antennas, high-power amplifiers, modems, signal processors).
