Sean Allen, SSC/SZG
Keywords: Space Domain Awareness, TAP Lab, SDA TAP Lab, kill chain, operational surprise
Abstract:
In May 2023, Gen Guetlein directed the stand-up of the Space Domain Awareness (SDA) Tools, Applications, and Procedures (TAP) Lab, under Space Systems Command SSC/SZG, the program office for space domain awareness and combat power.
The Lab’s purpose is to ensure space superiority, recognizing that formidable threats to our space systems exist both in orbit and on the ground. The Lab leverages developing space technologies in industry, academia, and government to fill capability and process gaps and seams in our space defense architecture.
General Saltzman provided a Theory of Success to safeguard our systems against attacks, with the primary tenet being to Avoid Operational Surprise. The National Space Defense Center (NSDC) at Schriever, SFB coordinates space defense actions leveraging sensors, intelligence and data from a variety of sources including Space Delta 2. Detecting the initiation of kill chain is imperative to preventing and avoiding operational surprise.
The SDA TAP Lab’s approach involves collaboration with technical staff and operators to decompose and segment kill chains into manageable “problem statements”. These problem statements drive our Apollo Accelerator, inviting commercial space companies, universities, and FFRDCs to develop, collaborate, and demonstrate solutions over three-month cycles. Each cycle culminates in a Demo Day, where capabilities are showcased to promote government investment.
The first cohort collaborated from October 2023 to January 2024, focused on understanding the nature of operational surprise and developing mitigation strategies. Twelve organizations across industry, academia, and government worked together and developed the following thesis: “Surprise comes via camouflage, concealment, deception, and maneuver, therefore we must interrogate targets for evidence of CCDM in order to avoid surprise.”
This research will show our ability to use existing technology and unclassified data sources to rapidly mature applications, processes, and deploy SDA capabilities into operations within 100 days to close gaps in our kill chains in order to mitigate operational surprise.
Date of Conference: September 17-20, 2024
Track: Space Domain Awareness