February 5, 2018 Industry Brief Chris Quilty
[email protected] January 2018 +1 (727)-828-7085 Austin Moeller Satellite & Space Monthly Review
[email protected] +1 (727)-828-7601 January 11, 2018: Air force to utilize more smallsats for weather DMSP F19 Readying for Launch observation. Citing growing budget constraints, the US Air Force announced that is considering using small satellites in combination with next-gen software rather than procuring traditional multibillion-dollar, cost-plus spacecraft to replace/replenish its Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP). Despite awarding a $94 million contract to Ball Aerospace in November to design the Weather System Follow-on Microwave (WSF-M) satellite, the Air Force plans to begin launching small satellites equipped with infrared imaging and electro-optical instruments to monitor battlefield weather starting in 2021-2022. The Air Force is also considering augmenting their current capabilities with inactive NOAA GOES satellites in the near-term. These considerations parallel recent comments by USSTRATCOM commander Gen. John Hyten, who has repeatedly stated that the Air Force currently spends too much time and money developing large, high- cost satellites, and needs to invest in more small satellites for strategic Source: Lockheed Martin and budgetary reasons. Conclusion: Smallsats ready for a DoD growth spurt? With growing evidence of Russian/Chinese anti- satellite technology demonstrations, the Pentagon is becoming increasingly reluctant to spend billions of dollars on monolithic “Battlestar Galactica” satellite systems that place too many eggs in one basket. While not as robust or technologically-capable as high-end spacecraft built by traditional contractor, such as Lockheed Martin, small satellites are orders-of-magnitude less expensive to build, launch, and maintain.