(U) Assessments and Survivabiltiy

(The effects of any budget/program decisions made since the information was collected during 1997-98 are NOT reflected in the National Security Space Road Map (NSSRM).)

Overview: (U)
(U)  Space systems require protection from a wide range of threats from foreign and domestic sources, including terrorism, acts of war, and civil disasters. In addition to the traditional vulnerabilities of sensors, radio communications, and ground facilities, the susceptibility of computercontrolled systems to corruption or destruction has been highlighted in recent years by the recognition of information warfare as an important element of modern warfare. 

(U)  Develop key technologies to improve the radiation hardness of devices using advanced material systems. Evaluate advanced devices and circuits for application to Air Force space systems such as wide band gap materials and innovative dielectric materials.

(U)  As military and civilian reliance on timely support from our systems grows, it is essential that we and our users understand our vulnerabilities. And, as improved techniques for negating space systems develop and proliferate, we must assess the applications of technologies to defend both the space and ground elements of our systems. The challenge is to find affordable ways to insure against the more likely and potentially more debilitating threat scenarios.

Description: (U)
(U)  Space Particle Control
-To develop and test techniques to remove energetic particles from regions of near earth space that can become significantly 
enhanced to levels where space systems lifetimes can be reduced from years to months (or days).  To understand structure 
and dynamics of radiation particle environment and how the environment may be altered.

(U)  Counterspace Protection Technologies-Active Techniques
-The long-term objective of this effort is the identification, development and demonstration of active survivability enhancement options that will provide,in conjunction with on-board threat warning/attack reporting capabilities, the capability for spacecraft to avoid hostile threat environments.

(U)  Counterspace Protection Technologies-Passive Techniques
-The objective of this effort is the development and demonstration of passive protection techniques (hardening) required for US space assets to withstand and/or operate through stressing, hostile threat environments.  Multi-threat (including enhanced radiation, RF/HPM, laser and other advanced weapons concepts) mitigation techniques and performance-compatible survivability enhancement options will be identified, developed and demonstrated consistent with minimum impact on weight/power/cost constraints for high performance mission-critical subsystems.  Protection techniques/technologies will be developed consistent with the requirements to operate effectively in the natural space radiation and space debris environments.  

(U)  Satellite Lethality Assessments and Experiments
-(1) Assess the effectiveness of advanced laser, RF/HPM, and nuclear weapons technologies against foreign satellites, and determine the vulnerabilities of US space assets to the same technologies in support of survivability technologies development.
(2)The objective of the program is to evaluate potential application of ABL, and SBL weapon concepts. Specifically to provide high confidence lethality estimates on TMD targets, conduct laser phenomenology experiments to investigate the response of solid & liquid boosters, and to develop physics based laser interaction algorithms.  Other objectives of this program include: Conduct laser experiments to determine and/or validate the vulnerability criteria of satellites for the GBL Technology program, and assess the potential of near-term lasers as infra-red countermeasures.

User Impact: (U)
(U) None.

Programmatics: (U)
(U) Concept/Technology.
	(U) IOC: 02/1996 (2QFY1996).

Related Initiatives: (U)
(U) EM Effects and Hardening

Related Requirements: (U)
(U) None.

Related Categories: (U)
(U) High Power RF Technology

Road Map Placements: (U)
(U) TECHNOLOGY- RDT&E.

Lead Office: (U)
(U) Air Force.

Date of Information: (U)
21 November 1997

(The effects of any budget/program decisions made since the information was collected during 1997-98 are NOT reflected in the National Security Space Road Map (NSSRM).)