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Space on call: operationally responsive space
23 October 2009
The DARPA System F6 programme intends to demonstrate that a traditional, large, monolithic satellite can be replaced by a group of smaller, individually launched, wirelessly networked and cluster-flown spacecraft modules (DARPA)
The level of ambition inherent in the US Department of Defense's (DoD) operationally responsive space (ORS) vision is quickly apparent by comparing its goals with the military's traditional means of approaching the business of space.
To avoid being caught out by what former defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld once coined as a "space Pearl Harbor", the DoD hopes to reduce its reliance on expensive, high-performance satellite programmes developed over a number of years and instead create a means of rapidly deploying low-cost, smaller satellites.
While the ORS concept has been around for sometime, several events in recent years - the Chinese anti-satellite (ASAT) test in 2007, the collision of the Iridium and Cosmos satellites in February and the increase in cyber attack and GPS jamming capabilities - have seen it increasingly championed within the space community.
At the heart of the ORS effort is the development of "increasingly responsive architectures" to enable the "rapid fielding of space systems in support of the warfighter".
In the words of the ORS Office director, Dr Peter Wegner, the term ORS can be summed up as: "Assured space power focused on timely satisfaction of the joint force commanders' [JFC] needs.
"ORS is focused on a new, information-age-based model of low-cost, rapid-reaction space assets. We're not intending to replace or compete with the traditional model of exquisitely high-performance systems. ORS' focus is truly on the warfighter - making sure they have the information they need when they need it," Wegner said.