{"id":887,"date":"2024-12-21T07:05:52","date_gmt":"2024-12-21T07:05:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thedefencenews.com\/?p=887"},"modified":"2025-01-12T11:27:41","modified_gmt":"2025-01-12T11:27:41","slug":"why-space-force-chose-commercial-firms-to-build-its-new-ground-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedefencenews.com\/?p=887","title":{"rendered":"Why Space Force chose commercial firms to build its new ground system"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Courtney\u00a0Albon<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Space Force wants to transition the first of its space domain awareness satellite programs to a new cloud-based ground system as soon as next spring \u2014 and rather than work with a traditional defense contractor, it\u2019s formed a consortium of small, commercial firms to help it modernize satellite operations.<\/p>\n

The Space Rapid Capabilities Office in September awarded initial contracts to 20 small businesses that will compete for $1 billion worth of task orders over the next five to seven years.<\/p>\n

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The companies span a range of expertise. Aalyria, a spinoff from Google’s parent company Alphabet, develops software to help organizations manage satellite networks\u00a0and builds laser communication terminals. A Colorado-based firm, Infinity, specializes in systems engineering. Omni Federal, based in Washington, D.C., develops cloud and cyber solutions.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Col. Greg Hoffman, who leads the Rapid Resilient Command and Control program, or R2C2, said being able to take advantage of the breadth of experience and specialization represented across those firms is important for a program that aims to build a more resilient, capable ground operations system.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe honed in on this small business approach because they\u2019ve got the right experts to team with us to deliver this satellite operations software that we need for dynamic space operations,\u201d he told Defense News. \u201cThere\u2019s so much talent that we\u2019re able to tap into across these 20 companies.\u201d<\/p>\n

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R2C2 builds on two previous Space Force ground programs: the Space RCO\u2019s Ground Command, Control and Communications program; and <\/span>Space Systems Command\u2019s Enterprise Ground Services, or EGS, program<\/a>. EGS in particular sought to bring together the Space Force\u2019s many command and control systems, but its scope was too broad and its requirements too complex.<\/span><\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n

The service last year opted to narrow its focus to deliver the capability more quickly. The program is now focused on developing a system that can operate highly maneuverable satellites\u00a0\u2014 a mission the service calls dynamic space operations.<\/p>\n

The Defense Department has traditionally struggled to field ground systems on time, often launching satellites years before their operation segments are ready. Space Force acquisition executive Frank Calvelli\u00a0has challenged the acquisition community\u00a0to change that paradigm and field working ground systems ahead of the satellites they\u2019ll operate.<\/p>\n

Hoffman said Calvelli\u2019s directive is top of mind for the Space RCO. The program\u2019s use of commercial vendors and focus on Space Command\u2019s real-time operational needs make it different from legacy acquisition approaches, he said.<\/p>\n

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R2C2 is structured to release new capabilities on a regular cadence \u2014 weekly and sometimes monthly, Hoffman said. Startups and small firms are created around a rapid delivery mentality and tend to be unburdened by large overhead and corporate processes. That mindset aligns well with the Space RCO, he added.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cWhat we want to do is focus on delivering the software . . . and get it into the hands of testers and operators for that feedback,\u201d Hoffman said. \u201cBeing able to work with the developers and the testers and operators is critical to delivering this sort of nascent capability and doing it on the timelines that our senior leaders expect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Early milestones<\/h2>\n

The program has already logged several successes since it took shape in the summer of 2023. The Space RCO was able to use some existing agreements with small vendors to develop a prototype, which means it didn\u2019t have to wait to get started. That work helped the team prepare its technical approach and its strategy for working with a cohort of commercial companies rather than a larger prime contractor.<\/p>\n

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Within the first three months, R2C2 received authority to operate for its commercial cloud capability \u2014 a process to validate a program\u2019s cyber approach that often takes two or more years to complete. That early approval allowed the team to start pushing software code quickly, Hoffman said.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n
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The program also demonstrated the ability to load its satellite operations suite into the commercial cloud environment, which it used to simulate operations and then establish a limited connection with a satellite in orbit. That work culminated in August when the program used its prototype to send 11 commands to the satellite, which the spacecraft acknowledged.<\/p>\n

Now, with its R2C2 vendors on contract, the Space RCO is working to acclimate them to the program\u2019s requirements \u2014 and the DOD environment \u2014 so they\u2019re ready to compete for future work. Hoffman said he expects to start issuing delivery orders this fall and winter to provide multiple opportunities for competition each year.<\/p>\n

Over the next year, the focus will be on scaling the capabilities the team has already developed so that R2C2 can start to integrate satellites in the springtime frame. Hoffman wouldn\u2019t identify which satellite programs would be first in line but noted that they are existing systems that fall within the dynamic space operations mission.<\/p>\n

Eventually, the program\u2019s focus will shift to partnering with new programs and ensuring that its schedules are aligned so the satellites can integrate as soon as they\u2019re ready.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to line up with their timing,\u201d Hoffman said. \u201cWhen they need a ground system, we\u2019re going to be ready for all their ground test campaign and pre-launch readiness activities and then for their on-orbit operations.\u201d<\/p>\n

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About\u00a0<\/span>Courtney\u00a0Albon<\/span><\/em><\/div>\n

Courtney Albon is C4ISRNET\u2019s space and emerging technology reporter. She has covered the U.S. military since 2012, with a focus on the Air Force and Space Force. She has reported on some of the Defense Department\u2019s most significant acquisition, budget and policy challenges.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Courtney\u00a0Albon The Space Force wants to transition the first of its space domain awareness satellite programs to a new cloud-based ground system as soon as next spring \u2014 and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1167,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37,40],"tags":[69],"class_list":["post-887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-opinions","category-space","tag-us-space-force"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/thedefencenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/SPACE-FORCE-COMMERCIAL.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedefencenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedefencenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedefencenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedefencenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedefencenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=887"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/thedefencenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/887\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1567,"href":"https:\/\/thedefencenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/887\/revisions\/1567"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedefencenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedefencenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedefencenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedefencenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}