Spacelift Range System Space

The Spacelift Range System Space (SPRNGE) program, managed by the United States Space Force under the Air Force's Space Procurement appropriation, is designed to ensure public safety and provide assured access to space through the modernization and sustainment of the Launch and Test Range System (LTRS). LTRS operates at two major Department of Defense ranges: the Eastern Range (ER) at Patrick Space Force Base/Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, and the Western Range (WR) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The program's overarching goal is to support national security space launches, civil and commercial payloads, missile defense tests, and aeronautical evaluations by maintaining and upgrading critical range infrastructure and capabilities.

The LTRS Commodities Procurement line item focuses on accelerating system modernization and integrating prime mission equipment into the LTRS baseline to meet the Spaceport of the Future (SOTF) requirements. This involves upgrading telemetry, radar, and data processing capabilities, as well as integrating advanced data reception, transport, and processing technologies. The objective is to ensure that both ER and WR can support increased launch capacity and concurrent major operations, with the ability to assess vehicle performance at higher data rates. These upgrades are essential to prevent the LTRS from becoming a bottleneck in the national space launch cadence and to meet evolving user needs.

The LTRS Interim Supply Support line item provides for the procurement of replenishment spares and supply support management. This includes both peculiar and common support materials, re-procurement data, and interim supply support management activities. The goal is to ensure that modernized systems delivered under the SOTF initiative are adequately supported with necessary spares and supply chain management, minimizing downtime and ensuring operational readiness for all range activities.

The LTRS Support Services line item funds mission assurance activities conducted by Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), as well as systems engineering and integration (SE&I) efforts. These activities are critical to maintaining technical compatibility and mission safety across all twelve LTRS subsystems. Support services also include program management and advisory and assistance services (A&AS) to ensure that modernization and digital transformation efforts remain synchronized with the sustainment baseline and that all documentation and processes are kept current.

The Range Communications Facility (RCF) and Western Range Modernization of Network (WMN) line items previously supported the relocation and modernization of communications infrastructure at the ER and the upgrade of WR's communications subsystem from legacy ATM technology to modern IPv6/IPv4-compatible networks. As of FY 2026, no new funding is requested for these efforts, as the RCF achieved Full Operational Capability in February 2024 and WMN was operationally accepted in October 2024. These projects addressed building degradation, code compliance, and cybersecurity issues, and are now maintained as part of the overall LTRS sustainment program.

The Digital Transformation initiative (formerly Digital Edge Modernization) is a key objective within SPRNGE, aiming to convert legacy LTRS systems into an interconnected, data-driven ecosystem. This transformation leverages enterprise cloud services and modern software development strategies to deliver resilient, scalable, and automated data and operational services. The goal is to enable commercial-standard LTRS operations, support rapid launch cadences, and integrate new capabilities such as the Autonomous Flight Safety System (AFSS), which is expected to enable launches within one hour by October 2025 (objective) or October 2028 (threshold).

The SPRNGE program's goals and objectives are centered on modernizing and sustaining the infrastructure and systems that support national space launch and test operations. By balancing procurement and research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) funding, the program ensures that both immediate operational needs and long-term capability enhancements are addressed. This approach supports the Space Force's strategic intent to transform LTRS into a flexible, resilient, and technologically advanced spaceport system capable of meeting current and future mission requirements.