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covering a variety of scenes, asses 1:~ kncfits of
ljmcly, mctsium resoltition MSI, pmvid.: an interim
uaty monitoring capability, and Imrniliiarizc military
USCIS wih tasking , dircct conml and dcS c !QlOilauOn.
. vAcIc(usI M
An opcrational TacSat systcm must grovidr h high lcvcl
of dcprndability and timcly acccSs lo &la. The numkr
of satclliacs availablc dircctly dribcs IRc system's ability
to satisfy thcsc nccds. A singlc salcllitc can only
providc a fcw opportunitics pcr day to imagc a givcn
mgct arm. If thcrc nrc: conflicting drnler Pcquircmcnls
from multiplc largcts in a givcn gcognpnic arca, or if
thcrc mc sgccific timc windows or other constraints, a
singlc atcllitc may not pmvidc timcly sopport. Ih
addition. Ihc dcpcndability of a singlc satcllitc will
always be at risk. Thcrcforc:. it is vcry likcly that an
opcrational TacSat systcm will rcquirc, in somc way,
multiplc sotcllitcq. This nccd can bc satisfied in (r c of
two ways, and sclcction will bc hcuvily offcctcd by thc
launch copbilitics that cmcrgc in thc ncxt fcW yars.
If a quick rcaction launch systcm bccomes availablc, a
flcxiblc approach to a TacSat capability, whcn and
whcrc it is nccdcd, would bc practical. Salcllitcs and
launch vchiclcs could bc storcd for call-up and launch
in days whcn a sccurity cmcrgcncy rcquircs support.
To mintdin rcadincss, a satcllitc would masiwally bc
launchcd undcr cxcrcisc conditions. Thcsc would
providc a lcvcl of continuous capability for non-crisis
activitics, such as training and m ty monitoring. With
this capability. satcllitcs could bc launchcd into
situation-specific orbits to incrcasc thc availablc
covcngc for a givcn cmcrgcncy.
T'ie abscncc of a quick rcaction launch systcm would
lad to a diffcrcnt stntcgy. This scenario would bc
xrvcd by in-place TacSats, forming a pcrmancnt
constcllation. Hcrc, thc sarcllitcs would &: in gcncral
purpose orbils covcring thc cuth. A set of near-polar
sun-synchronous orbits would ttc likely. For covcragc
and dcpcndability, the constcllation would consi!.l of
two of lhrcc satcllilcs. Thcir phasing would bc diffc rcnl
but altitudc and inclination would bc similar. Assunling
current boostcrs. the conccpt is to launch the cntirc
constcllation on a singlc mcdium boostcr. A similar
launch every fcw ycars allows for planncd rcglaccmcnt,
cmstcllation cnhanccmcnt or capability upgdcs.
Initiating a Dcm-Val proccss for TacSots dws not
rcquirc an early answcr to thc qucstim of how an
opention?! :system will be dcployd md launchcd.
Then is a good chance bat Lhc IRIDIUM program's
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O&M rqui&men(s will provide the foundation for h
quick mtion launch system with sdcqualc capability
for TncSlat use. If this docs not occur, thc permanent
consellation of multiply launchcd mtcllitcs can satisfy
operational needs with existing launch vchiclcs.
Wc now have thc opportunity to providc our military
Corccs with 8 cost cffcctivc forcc multiplicr. This
opportunity exisls because:
1) Military organiiations arc laming how dala from
spacc can be used to cnhancc thc cffcctivcncss of
cxisting and planncd forcc svuclurcs.
2) Thc tcchnologics nccdcd for smallcr. vcry capable
survcillancc satcllitcs cxist, gcncrally off-thc-shclf.
3) Commcrcidl spxc programs and various govcmmcnt
dcvclopmcnts arc providing thc cconomic
foundation that will makc most kcy TacSat systcm
clcmcnts available at affordable costs.
Thc singlc major unfundcd dcvclopmcnt rcquircd
kforc iaunch of thc first TacSat is for thc scnsor.
Undcrtaking that dcvclopmcnt would allow
dcmonsmtioa of thc tactical bcncfits of multi-spccual
imagcry and lcad to the introduction of growing
apabilitics To? military suppon from spxc.
In an unstablc global sccurity transition cra, flcxiblc,
multi-purposc spncc assct~ arc csscntinl. Multi-spccual
imaging offcrs lactical uscrs cnhsnccd capabilitics not
currcntly availablc. A uscr taskcd, multi-rolc MSI
Scnsor and spacccraft can form a practical TacSat
systcm. Thc prcmisc for and thc validity of TacSats
havr bccn subslantiatcd barcd on thc tcchnical analysis
ptescned. It is thc aulhors' opinion that TacSats should
bc implcmcntcd with a scnsc of national and allicd
wgcncy and ncccssity.
LMSC & BA&H undcr AFSSD Conuact #M4701-89-
C-0088, ' Octobcr 1990.
S. & V.M. Kilston & Capt. T.F. Utch. USAF. Small
First Intcmational Symposium on Small Satcllitcs
Systcms and Scrviccs, Arachon. Francc. Junc 1992.
T.C. Lcisgang & M.D. Bcnz. U w -
v,
. . AIAA-92-1952, 14th
AIAA Intcmational Communications Satcllitc Systcms
Confcrcncc. April. 1992.
Significant portions of thc tcchnical content of this
paper originated from work donc for thc USAF Spacc
Systcms Division's RESERVES study. Thc authors
spprocia~c
the contributions IO hat cffon by:
Capt. T. Utsch USAF
W. S. Kilslon LMSC
Ms. V.M. Kilston LMSC
Mr. J. KcRm LMSC
Mr. M. Rhynard Bm.. Allen Rr Hnmilton Ins.