Space

   With the waning of the Cold War, the NRO began the process of increasing space intelligence support to the tactical warfighter. While the Persian Gulf War (of six years ago, now) revealed some shortfalls and problems, the U.S. commanders even then had more and arguably the best intelligence on opposing forces than in any previous conflict in history. The NRO led the process of breaking down organizational and procedural barriers, and moving many of its intelligence products from code word security to collateral classifications. Today, we have greatly improved cooperation in U.S. space arenas, and are continuing to improve service to both national and tactical clients.

"...increasing
space intelligence
support to the
tactical warfighter."

   Interactions between DoD and intelligence space programs are taking place in a number of areas. Examples include:

The Architectural Development Teams (ADTs) addressing the MILSATCOM, Space Control and Satellite Operations architectural studies;

The National Space System Master Plan (NSSMP), with its initial development of "Guidestars" as top-level goals for both DoD and Intelligence Community (IC) space program planning;

Technology coordination initiatives, where space technology interactions have included laboratory visits, project reviews, and identification of specific technology area lead responsibilities among the Services and NRO;

The incorporation of both defense and intelligence space system launch needs into our next-generation launch system, the EELV, and support for this program by both DoD and the IC; and

Both Defense and IC participation in various studies of future space-based capabilities, such as the future imagery architecture, systems to collect global terrain data, the recent Jeremiah Panel Review of the NRO's mission and business and security practices, as well as several special topic studies.

   In this even broader arena, both defense and intelligence space programs are providing support to the environmental sciences and to early warning and relief of natural disasters. Examples include:

Joint planning by the civil, defense and intelligence space sectors for a National Space Communication System to meet their high data rate (HDR) communication needs. This system is to be on orbit in the next decade to meet both civil and scientific research and defense intelligence needs, and to do so at a significant savings over separate programs;

IC support to environmental sciences, via participation in the Environmental Task Force/Project MEDEA, is aiding analysis of ongoing changes in the earth to provide improved strategic warning of potentially catastrophic threats to both our own and international populations; and

Both DoD and the IC are actively supporting disaster relief and avoidance efforts. For example, in our space-based efforts to identify and report forest fires, DoD and IC data (from a broad range of sensors) is also being shared through the Civil Applications Committee to provide warnings of potential natural disasters around the globe.

   Some of these examples will be discussed further in later sections.