TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Information Systems, Space Platforms

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) Follow-on System, an ACAT I Program

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals, their country of origin, and what tasks each would accomplish in the statement of work in accordance with section 3.5.b.(7) of the solicitation.

OBJECTIVE: Investigate and develop a satellite reconfiguration tool that automatically determines potential satellite system configurations to achieve a given mission. The tool will reduce the time required to optimize satellite payload and system configurations that meet the commander�s intent. The tool is a component of the Software Reconfigurable Payloads (SRP) concept and the Navy�s envisioned next generation satellite systems. It will contribute to the responsive space missions envisioned by the Department of Defense�s Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) Office.

DESCRIPTION: Currently satellite systems are built in seven to ten years and allow little, if any, ability to reconfigure resources. This results in operational systems built to ten year old requirements and are not flexible. It is desirable for space systems to become increasingly reconfigurable and reprogrammable. Examples of recent innovations are Radiation hardened Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA), Software Defined Radios (SDR), and other reconfigurable payloads that have been space proven and continue to improve in performance and reliability. These advances will soon allow for in-space reconfiguration and re-tasking of satellites and ground stations, a concept that PEO Space Systems calls Software Reconfigurable Payloads (SRP). Today the concept of software reconfigurable payloads are being seriously considered by Navy and other elements of DoD as opportunities to improve mission responsiveness. As the complexity of space systems grow and the number of possible configurations increases exponentially, innovative new optimization tools are needed to quickly identify the best possible configuration to react to changing conditions. PEO Space systems seeks innovative methods to plan and re-task, orbiting assets dynamically in a way that is dependent on the needs of local field commanders. This is new. Systems are currently operated in accordance with a preconceived plan, where tactical operations are impacted if it becomes necessary to deviate from the plan.

Many design, modeling and analysis tools currently exist to visualize a variety of predetermined satellite missions. Some of the currently available tools include Satellite Tool Kit (STK), Spacecraft Design Tool (SDT), Satellite Orbital Analysis Tool (SOAP), and NASA�s SPICE. However, no tool provides the ability to plan for changing mission sets requiring the reconfiguration of the satellite system. The proposed tool will interoperate with existing tool suites to provide potential mission solutions in a far shorter period of time. Open interfaces and standards will be employed where available to ensure interoperability with future modeling and design tools.

The primary user of the tool will be organizations that command, control and task satellites. Alternatively, the tool could be used in the satellite design process to help determine the appropriate mix of payloads and resources to maximize system responsiveness.

Given a set of available satellite system resources, and pre-determined missions and priorities from combatant commands, the tool will provide system configuration recommendations. System constraints to consider would include available power, processing capability, storage space and payload-specific characteristics such as antenna(s) and sensor suites. The tool would generate multiple options and then present ranked potential trade-offs to facilitate decision making.

Commanders� priorities change rapidly according to battlefield conditions. This new tool will enable reconfiguration of satellite systems to provide relevant capability to the warfighter. The tool should take into consideration the Unified Combatant Commanders (COCOM) priorities, ephemeral elements, and geographical foot print to determine the best configuration.,

PHASE I: Phase I will study the feasibility of developing a planning tool for reconfigurable satellites. The innovation here is the idea of a reconfigurable payload. No payload is reconfigurable in a way that allows it to be adaptable based upon mission needs, ephemeral elements and geographic location. Tasks under this phase could include:
� Identify promising taxonomies needed to adequately frame this new engineering challenge, such as the taxonomy in the Air Force Research Laboratory�s Payload Developers Guide.
� Research, adapt and/or develop appropriate optimization algorithms and methodologies for selecting satellite system configurations
� Determine necessary interfaces to exploit existing design, modeling, and/or analysis tools
� Describe features appropriate for reconfiguration of both the ground and space segments.
� Develop a simple mock-up of the proposed tool�s function to demonstrate operational implications.
� Recommend a logical way ahead toward realizing this capability in further work.

PHASE II: This phase will focus on the development of a prototype tool.
� The selected configuration methodologies will be implemented
� Develop a prototype model and graphical user interface using the tenets of object oriented software and Open Architecture.
� Incorporate at least one interface to existing analysis/visualization tools to demonstrate operation.

PHASE III: This phase will focus on integrating the tool into existing or future satellite systems.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Potential application for use by commercial satellite providers.

REFERENCES:
1. Concept of Operations, "Management and Control of UHF Satellite Communications", Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1 March 1995.
2. Concept of Operations, "Satellite Support Centers", United States Space Command, 19 November 1999.
3. "Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) Initial Concept of Operations," United States Strategic Command, 7 May 2007.
4. ORS website, http://www.oft.osd.mil/initiatives/ors/
5. Satellite Tool Kit, http://www.stk.com
6. Spacecraft Design Tool, www.sdt-startech.com
7. NASA SPICE Tool Kit., http://naif.jpl.nasa.gov/naif/pds.html

KEYWORDS: Satellite Mission Planning, Satellite Control, Operationally Responsive Space, Software Reconfigurable Payloads

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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