The Pentagon is seeking information on advanced technologies expected to be needed between 2030 and 2040 to enhance its space domain awareness and better safeguard space assets amid growing orbital competition.
The Space Security and Defense Program (SSDP), a collaboration between the Department of Defense and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, issued a request for information (RFI) on Sept 11 that seeks advanced space domain awareness technologies to assess threats to U.S. space assets and gather insights for protecting U.S. systems.
Specifically, the RFI seeks capabilities that support “the timely, relevant, and actionable understanding of the operational environment that enables military forces to plan, integrate, execute, and assess space operations.”
SSDP is seeking concepts that enhance “support to fires, surveillance of man-made objects, intelligence and reconnaissance, and environmental monitoring.” The RFI prioritizes “support to fires,” a term referring to how assets can improve targeting efficiency.
The RFI specifies that proposals should detail how quickly the system can provide “target handoff,” which involves identifying a target and relaying the information to military branches equipped to engage it.
Additionally, the RFI requests that proposed concepts encompass command, control, and communications for both current and future sensor networks; data processing, fusion, and dissemination with minimal latency for detecting and warning of space threats; and advanced sensors.
The SSPD also seeks systems that offer threat warning and assessment capabilities, enabling the prediction and differentiation of potential or actual attacks, space weather events, environmental effects, and anomalies in space systems.
Responses are due on Nov. 14.
