Session
Technical Session XI: Better, Cheaper, Faster
Abstract
U.S. military forces are dependent on space systems for communications, navigation, and other critical support functions. As we learned in Desert Storm, however, the requirements for space capability are difficult to forecast and easy to underestimate. The current U.S. approach relies on high-capacity, high-orbit satellites. Such satellites are relatively cost-effective: the larger the satellite, the lower the cost per pound to orbit it, and the lower the cost per unit of capacity. However, cost-effectiveness is not always the appropriate standard for selecting military systems. Combat forces must be provided with the capability they need to operate and win. This paper examines a "high-low mix" augmenting the large satellites now used with rapid-reaction launch vehicles (either purchased commercially or developed from Minuteman ICBMs) and tactical satellites (TacSats). Advances in technology now allow military missions including communications and imagery intelligence to be accomplished by satellites weighing under 200 kilograms (kg). U.S. space forces today are constrained by the lack of an affordable, highly responsive launch system and by the inability to add or replace satellite capability during a crisis. This paper documents those requirements and examines the feasibility of meeting them with a low-cost tactical space system based on proven technology.
The High-Low Mix: A New Concept In Military Space
U.S. military forces are dependent on space systems for communications, navigation, and other critical support functions. As we learned in Desert Storm, however, the requirements for space capability are difficult to forecast and easy to underestimate. The current U.S. approach relies on high-capacity, high-orbit satellites. Such satellites are relatively cost-effective: the larger the satellite, the lower the cost per pound to orbit it, and the lower the cost per unit of capacity. However, cost-effectiveness is not always the appropriate standard for selecting military systems. Combat forces must be provided with the capability they need to operate and win. This paper examines a "high-low mix" augmenting the large satellites now used with rapid-reaction launch vehicles (either purchased commercially or developed from Minuteman ICBMs) and tactical satellites (TacSats). Advances in technology now allow military missions including communications and imagery intelligence to be accomplished by satellites weighing under 200 kilograms (kg). U.S. space forces today are constrained by the lack of an affordable, highly responsive launch system and by the inability to add or replace satellite capability during a crisis. This paper documents those requirements and examines the feasibility of meeting them with a low-cost tactical space system based on proven technology.
