ICBM Missiles: Reduce, Reuse, RSLP

Minotaur I

Arms control treaties and other deactivations have left the USA with over 1,400 ballistic missile rocket motors in storage. The USAF’s Rocket Systems Launch Program looks at ways to reuse them for missile defense testing or spacecraft launches, examines the use of ballistic missile technology for a Conventional Strike Missile (CSM), and studies related technologies. RSLP has supported various technology development efforts for guidance and navigation systems; advanced reentry physics; avionics; Missile Technology Demonstration (MTD); Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) and Ballistic Missile Range Safety Technology (BMRST).

In December 2012, US Space & Missile Command’s Space Development and Test Wing issued 3 indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price RSLP contracts, with up to $900 million in task orders to be competed among the winners:

EELV Contracts: After the Merger

Boeing Delta IV Heavy

The EELV program was designed to reduce the cost of government space launches through greater contractor competition, and modifiable rocket families whose system requirements emphasized simplicity, commonality, standardization, new applications of existing technology, streamlined manufacturing capabilities, and more efficient launch-site processing. Result: the Delta IV (Boeing) and Atlas V (Lockheed Martin) heavy rockets.

Paradoxically, that very program may have forced the October 2006 merger of Boeing & Lockheed Martin’s rocket divisions. Crosslink Magazine’s Winter 2004 article “EELV: The Next Stage of Space Launch” offers an excellent briefing that covers EELV’s program innovations and results, while a detailed National Taxpayer’s Union letter to Congress takes a much less positive view. This DID Spotlight article looks at the Delta IV and Atlas V rockets, as well as the contracts placed since the merger that formed the United Launch Alliance.

NASA’s CCiCap: Can Space Taxis Help the Pentagon?

Dream Chaser & Atlas V

With the retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2011, American manned missions to the International Space Station have mostly involved Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft, which costs about $63 million per seat. The lone exception has involved the commercial space innovator SpaceX, whose unmanned Dragon capsule docked at the ISS in May 2012. NASA continues to pursue its own Space Launch System heavy rocket and Orion capsule for manned spaceflight, but in the mean time, its Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) program aims to spur development of lower-cost American options that could supplant or supplement Soyuz.

These “space taxis” will rely on heavy-lift rockets to make it into space. Their purpose isn’t military, but their configurations are good news for the USA’s space industrial base. SpaceX has a slot, of course, and the other 2 winning entries will use Lockheed Martin’s Atlas V EELV. Overall, 7 firms entered, and the 3 winners are:

DARPA’s MOIRE: Video Scud Hunts from Space

MOIRE concept

In physics, a moire pattern is an interference pattern created, for example, when two grids are overlaid at an angle, or when they have slightly different mesh sizes. It’s an appropriate name for DARPA’s Membrane Optic Imager Real-Time Exploitation (MOIRE) project, which aims to use diffractive optic membranes to conduct tactical video surveillance from space. That’s very useful when looking at territory where an intruding UAV is likely to be shot down, or when conducting operations to find, say, mobile SCUD missiles within a large potential area.

Making that happen involves a 20-meter diameter optic membrane surveying an area of more than 10 x 10 km at least once a second, with ground resolution better than 2.5 meters, and the ability to detect moving vehicles. Field of regard would be larger, of course, at 10 million square kilometers that could be covered from geosynchronous orbit. Finally, satellite cost also has to come in at under $500 million per copy. How hard could all that be? Hard enough for DARPA, apparently…

• DARPA’s MOIRE Program
  
• Contracts & Key Events
  
• Additional Readings
  

Small Is Beautiful: US Military Explores Use of Microsatellites

TacSat-1 Concept
(click to view larger)

At a time when defense budgets are being cut, the era of the multi-billion dollar military satellite program might be over. Witness the fate of the massive $12 billion TSAT program, which was shut down in 2009. As a much cheaper alternative, governments are exploring the possibility of using microsatellites to perform many of the functions currently performed by expensive large satellite systems: GPS navigation, communication, surveillance, and earth imagery.

At a 10th of the cost of their larger cousins, microsatellites are much easier sell to budget conscious procurement officers. They are much cheaper and faster to build and launch. For key military missions, however, their reliability and longevity are an issue. They might be cheaper, but if the military has to use 10 times as many to do the job of traditional satellites, would that be a cost savings?

This DID Spotlight article will focus on the US military’s microsatellite development and launch programs, as well as the Army’s development of nanosatellites for battlefield communication, and take a brief look at the problem of space debris.

• Microsatellites: Definitions and Technologies
  
• Pentagon’s TacSat Program
  
• TacSat-2 and Beyond [updated]
  
• One MiDSTEP for DARPA
  
• Army’s Nanosatellites: Smaller Is Better
  
• Tracking Space Debris
  
• Future: Faster, Better, Smaller, Cheaper
  
• Key Contacts
  
• Additional Readings
  

Missile Envy: Modernizing the US ICBM Force

LGM-30G Minuteman III

For 50 years, land-based Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) have been part of the US primary strategic deterrence capability, the nuclear-armed triad that also includes submarine-launched ballistic missiles and long range heavy bombers.

Although the main target for the US deterrent – the Soviet Union – imploded in 1991, other threats – such as nuclear-armed rogue states and non-state actors – have emerged. To address these new threats, the US Air Force undertook a major ICBM modernization program.

To carry out this program, the USAF awarded a 15-year ICBM Prime Integration Contract (F42610-98-C-0001) in 1997 to a team led by Northrop Grumman. Since then, the team, which includes Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and ATK, has been carrying out a major modernization of the ICBM system to ensure its readiness.

Hypersonic Rocket-Plane Program Inches Along, Stalls

FALCON HTVs

The path toward a hypersonic space plane has been a slow one, filled with twists and turns one would expect given the technological leap involved. Speeds of Mach 8+ place tremendous heat and resistance stresses on a craft. Building a vehicle that is both light enough to achieve the speeds desired at reasonable cost, and robust enough to survive those speeds, is no easy task.

Despite the considerable engineering challenges ahead, the potential of a truly hypersonic aircraft for reconnaissance, global strike/ transport, and low-cost access to near-space and space is a compelling goal on both engineering and military grounds. The question, as always, will be balancing the need for funding to prove out new designs and concepts, with risk management that ensures limited exposure if it becomes clear that the challenge is still too great. In October 2008, the US Congress decided that FALCON/Blackswift had reached those limits. That decision led to the program’s cancellation, though some activities will continue.

DARPA’s Hypersonic Vulcan Engine Meld

Logical progression

GE, United Technologies win Phase II contracts. (July 6/10)

It might not be a Vulcan mind-meld, but it’s pretty close. The Department of Defense’s technology brain trust, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), has given 4 contractors the go-ahead to develop the advanced Vulcan combination engine system for hypersonic flight.

The Vulcan engine will integrate a traditional jet turbine engine that performs well at low speeds, with a constant volume combustion (CVC) engine that performs well at higher speeds. The combination will help the vehicles go from standing starts to Mach 4 or so, where hypersonic engines can take over. DARPA’s ultimate goal is to design, build, and fly Mach 6+ re-usable, air-breathing, turbine-based hypersonic vehicles.

What current engines will the Vulcan program modify? What are the program’s goals? What is its structure? DID has answers…

• The Logic Behind Vulcan
  
• Contracts & Key Events [NEW]
  
• Additional Readings [updated]
  

USAF LRSW Modernizes US Space Launch Ranges

Up to $160M to ManTech to support LRSW space launch operations. (March 23/10)

The US Air Force’s Launch and Range Systems Wing (LRSW) is modernizing the US space launch ranges – the Eastern Range (Patrick AFB, FL) and the Western Range (Vandenberg AFB, CA)

A focus on LRSW’s modernization efforts is the US Launch & Test Range System (LTRS), which consists of ground-based surveillance, navigation, flight operations and analysis, command and control, communications and weather assets located at the Eastern Range and the Western Range.

The majority of the equipment supporting the US space launch ranges was installed during the 1960s and 1970s. Multiple LTRS upgrade efforts are underway including the Range Standardization and Automation (RSA) program, ongoing Instrumentation Modernization (IM) projects, numerous recapitalization efforts, and various depot support projects to reduce operations and sustainment costs. The current modernization efforts is replacing approximately 20% of the system.

The LRSW uses contractors to support its modernization work…

Rapid Fire 2010-02-12: France’s DGA 2009 Program Wrap-up

• Feb 10: RF notes Tory shadow minister’s comment that Britain must be capable of acting unilaterally. Today: read Liam Fox’s full speech to the RUSI re: Britain’s coming defense review and challenges.

• Hollywood scriptwriters are preparing scenarios for the Cyber Shockwave exercise on Feb 16/10 involving top US government officials. The event is sponsored by industry and will be covered by CNN.

• France’s DGA procurement agency offers 2009 summary [ in French], says average program delays will be slightly longer.

• VCCT simulators improve convoy training, give US and allied forces an OODA loop advantage.

• Pros and Cons of Stryker wheeled APCs in Afghanistan. The Canadians know this debate well.

• Pentagon set to create a project office to manage “non standard” helicopter buys for allies – like Mi-17s for Iraq and Afghanistan.

• First flight of revamped German CH-53GA helicopter at Donauworth.

• Northrop Grumman delivers 1st AN/ZPY-1 STARlite radars for the Army’s Warrior ER/MP UAS under a $78.5 million contract.

• Northrop Grumman clarifies its SPQ-9B radar contract.

• General Dynamics awards an $18 million contract to Northrop Grumman to produce LRS-2000 rate sensor assemblies for US Army’s M1A1 Abrams tank.

• SAIC to develop integrated crew member simulators for the CH-47 Chinook and UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters under the US Army’s $17.5 billion STOC II contract vehicle.

• Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne hot-fire tests RS-68A upgraded engine for Delta IV rocket.

• VTOL UAV funding from… the State of Maryland.

• Iranian president warns Israel against pre-emptive attack.

• Japan and South Korea are demanding that North Korea return to talks to end its nuclear weapons program.

• Ike’s copy of Germany’s WW II surrender document up for sale – just $2.95 million.