Exploring Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA)

OUSD (R&E) CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Space Technology OBJECTIVE: The objective of this topic is to provide novel and innovative new technology to bolster the United States Space Force (USSF) Space Development Agency's (SDA) advancement of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). SDA seeks proposals encompassing novel mission, system, value and warfighting engineering concepts, technologies, and capabilities which facilitate leap-ahead improvements for planned PWSA segments, layers and tranches or enable the creation of new missions and capabilities to address emerging warfighter needs. This effort aligns with the imperative to fortify space capabilities, ensuring their resilience against potential attacks, and to counter adversaries' advancements in space-based military capabilities targeting terrestrial assets, especially high-value power projection assets. DESCRIPTION: SDA is actively seeking innovative proposals to advance the PWSA and create additional capability for the warfighter while maintaining affordability and resilience across the architecture. This call encompasses a wide array of themes, ranging from integrating commercially-sensed data into the transport layer by advancing SDA-standard compatible Optical Inter-Satellite Link (OISL) technologies, to networking, in-space processing, power enhancement for commoditized spacecraft buses, and robust multi-level security and cross domain solutions. These themes aim to drive advancements in affordability, capability, viability and interoperability. The goal is to bolster the resilience and capabilities of space assets while enabling new layers of capabilities to address evolving warfighter needs in a dynamic and challenging space environment. PHASE I: The focus of Phase I is to identify and demonstrate the feasibility of novel technologies aimed at bolstering the PWSA. The emphasis should be on using analytical or computational methods to move beyond first principles and document proposed advancements, culminating in a demonstrative product that establishes the approach's viability and enables Phase II planning. While a complete production-level simulation may not be necessary, the computational intensity of the effort necessitates an unequivocable demonstration of the proposed methods, even if access to supercomputing resources is limited. This phase's goal is to affirm the potential and practicality of the outlined technological approaches, validating their computational foundations to efficiently create new warfighting capabilities enabled by a set of interoperable resilient, global, proliferated low Earth orbit spaceborne constellations. PHASE II: Phase II of this research initiative builds upon the validated technological approaches from Phase I to develop a tangible prototype aimed at bolstering the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). This phase focuses on refining and translating the established computational foundations into a well-defined prototype. Objectives include prototype development, iterative technical refinement, rigorous testing to validate performance parameters, and assessing scalability and adaptability. Success criteria involve demonstrating functionalities aligned with PWSA objectives, passing comprehensive performance tests, ensuring compatibility within the PWSA architecture, and verifying scalability across segments. This phase aims to bridge the gap between conceptual validation and implementation, culminating in a prototype showcasing the practicality and potential of these technologies in enhancing PWSA capabilities within low Earth orbit spaceborne constellations. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Phase III represents the transition of the validated prototype developed in Phase II into practical applications for both military and commercial use, leveraging non-SBIR funds for further development and integration. The expected Phase III effort involves advancing the prototype to a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) suitable for operational deployment and widespread commercial adoption. At Phase III entry, the TRL is expected to be at a high level of maturity where the technology is ready for operational deployment or commercialization. Transition planning, utilizing non-SBIR funds, will focus on scaling up production, integrating the technology into operational systems, conducting field trials for validation in real-world environments, and pursuing certification for commercial applications. Collaboration with industry partners and government agencies will be integral to ensure seamless integration into both military and civilian space applications. The Phase III dual-use effort aims to maximize the technology's impact by facilitating its transition from the prototype stage to widespread deployment. REFERENCES: http://www.sda.mil/home/work-with-us/resources/; KEYWORDS: Cryptography; Networking; Resilience; Interoperability; Affordability; Mission; Warfighting