Fred Kennedy, head of DARPA's Tactical Technology Office (TTO) has been tasked to help organize a new organization focused on space technology development, a Space Development Agency (SDA).

The objective is to spur innovation in military space programs and bring emerging technologies from the private sector into the U.S. defense community for the purpose of creating a more resilient operational architecture. Here are some thoughts regarding the realities and potential approaches for the new SDA to consider.

Whatever is attempted there will be resistance due to established legacy systems, vested personal interests and agency-dedicated programs. In spite of these "head winds," a new space infrastructure paradigm is needed to achieve new levels of responsiveness, reliability and resilience for future secure space operations. One possible new paradigm may assure a full spectrum of services to government and other stakeholders.

At the same time it must be affordable and sustainable, but will undoubtedly require major cultural changes in both the stakeholder and space provider communities. Any major paradigm changeover will require two to three generations of evolving space systems in order to reach a state in which both cultural and physical changes can be completed.

If done properly, this new architecture will be permanent and will require changes only as a result of new national security threats, evolving satellite technologies and updates in policies and geopolitical environments. Maintenance of the status quo is not a viable option. A new vision must be created and implemented in view of the expected and unknown threats to national security.

The nature of space applications is so varied that a new infrastructure must be truly "collaborative" and "integrated," i.e., a system of systems, all working together to deliver a diversity of products and services to a variety of stakeholders.

One might think of this infrastructure as a utility whose products and services can be delivered to stakeholders in appropriate formats, in a responsive manner and with reliability.

In one example, a user uploads a request without concern for the processes that take place within the utility, but expects the system to deliver the requested product or service. With a utility, users simply buy services and do not control the utility itself.

A properly supported organization should be able to design, develop and control a new space infrastructure that is interconnected, re-taskable in real-time and can be quickly reconfigurable.

This space infrastructure will likely be made up of small, medium and large satellites flying in a full range of Earth-orbit constellations, at low, medium and high altitudes. Each stakeholder agency could have unique interfaces that allow access to the products and services used by that agency.

All system operations should be transparent to individual users. Since all products and services will be digital in nature, users could upload requests via a digital device and download results to the same device according to that person's level of access and need.

Related Links
DARPA Tactical Technology Office
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