Space systems enter a pivotal moment.

• Author: Hart, Dan
• Position: Viewpoint

This is a pivotal time for the future of our space infrastructure and how it will support activities and missions here on Earth. Our leaders across all facets of the government space enterprise are currently engaged in the process of defining the future of our space-based capability.

Recently a strategy and framework for the future of national security space was rolled out in the form of "The Space Enterprise Vision." From the recognition that space is no longer a safe haven, to revolutionary new technologies, new products and architectures--we are beginning to lay the foundation for a wholesale change across government satellites and systems. When we look back 30 years from now, we will likely recognize this as a pivotal time when key decisions were made that guided the future of our space-enabled mission capabilities.

The U.S. government, with the support of industry, is grappling with a confluence of factors that will drive both future government satellite architectures and acquisition approaches. Space is now a contested environment. Survivability against man-made threats will forevermore be a key requirement that will drive the engineering of our space systems. In addition, with the increasing number of international partnerships and the sophistication and proliferation of commercial satellites, we have begun to reevaluate how we obtain needed capabilities and have opened the door to new procurement options.

Finally, more than ever before, federal budget pressures are driving our government leaders to consider how government agencies can meet their mission needs at a dramatically lower cost.

All of these factors are converging at a time when the United States is about to decide how its next generation of military satellite communications, navigation, missile warning, surveillance and civil programs will be recapitalized moving forward.

How will it all turn out? No one knows for sure; however, based on current trends across the Department of Defense and civil space, here are a few likely scenarios.

First, the Air Force will continue to maintain our navigation system through the evolution of GPS, which has become a critical tool for our military, civil agencies and the global commercial sector. These satellites will continue to be infused with more modern technologies such as flexible, digital-navigation payloads that will allow them to overcome the limitations of the current GPS analog systems. Also, the increased flexibility provided...