Space programs reflect war-fighting priorities.

• Author: Teets, Peter B.
• Position: Commentary

Space systems increasingly have become integrated into national intelligence and war-fighting operations. The space technology that enabled the success the military services achieved during combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq will continue to be a cornerstone for success in future conflicts.

Space assets provide global perspective and access unhindered by geographic or political boundaries. Whether integrated with airborne and surface sensors, or acting alone over areas of high risk or denied access, space systems provide critical surveillance and reconnaissance information to national decision makers and combatant commanders.

To maintain the U.S. advantage in space, the nation must continue to provide capable and reliable systems. This requires achieving mission success in operations and acquisition, developing and maintaining a team of space professionals, integrating space capabilities for national intelligence and war fighting, producing innovative solutions for the most challenging national security problems, and ensuring freedom of action in space.

Six national security space launches are planned for 2004, which focus on sustaining and improving existing military and intelligence satellite constellations. On February 14, the Air Force and industry team successfully launched a defense support program satellite to augment the nation's strategic missile warning capabilities.

This effort, along with two National Reconnaissance Office projects planned for next year mark the last Titan launches after 45 years of successful operations. Now, the focus is shifting in the evolved expendable launch vehicle system for future missions. The EELV will be able to launch the military's heaviest communications and national security payloads.

Mission successes in operations must be accompanied by success in acquisitions. Mission success should be the primary driver of a program, not cost and schedule. The new National Security Space Acquisition Policy 03-01--signed on October 6, 2003--is an effort to institutionalize this thinking. Using this process, defense space acquisition boards have approved the Space Based Radar entry into the study phase, and transformational satellites entry into the design phase.

In each case, an independent program assessment team and an independent cost assessment team identified key risk areas and recommended ways to best manage the risks inherent in these complex programs.

To preserve the U.S. advantage as the leading space faring nation...