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Thinking positive on TSAT
March 31st, 2009 | National Space Symposium | Posted by Ben Iannotta
U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. John "Tom" Sheridan outlines his satellite buying approach.
If the proposed multibillion dollar Transformational Satellite Communications System (TSAT) is about to meet the Obama administration’s budget axe, the U.S. Air Force general in charge of satellite acquisitions wasn’t letting on.
Lt. Gen. John “Tom” Sheridan outlined the Air Force’s approach of building successively more complicated versions of satellites, holding the line on requirements, and investing in research early in programs. He said the Space and Missile Systems Center, which he commands, “is working really hard to try to do this on both GPS 3 and TSAT as we start those activities up.”
Sheridan said “both of these are postured to be developed following these acquisition characteristics.”
After his talk, I asked him if this meant TSAT would not be cut: “I don’t have any picture of what the seniors in the department are really deciding, but we at SMC are following what we’ve been given as [decision memos] that tell us to move out with the program. So until we’re told to do differently, we’re getting ready to do that.”
Tags: Air Force, satellite, transformational
Ranking the top threats in space
March 31st, 2009 | National Space Symposium | Posted by Michael Hoffman
A panel of officials with representatives from the Air Force, industry and even a former astronaut were asked what they see as the largest threat to U.S. space assets. Here are their answers:
Col. Dusty Tyson, chief of the Air Force’s Space Control Division
“Not knowing what everything is on orbit scares me. I am still interested in knowing what everything is at least at the geosynchronous level.”
Richard Dalbello, vice president of Intelsat General Corporation
“A focused cyber attack could be severely disabling. Not necessarily now but the technology that will evolve over the next decade…We have a lot of stuff in space that needs to be protected.”
Donald R. McMonagle, former astronaut and manager of NASA’s Launch Integration Space Shuttle Program
“Orbital debris. There were times when we had to bring astronauts back inside the space station because of fears of collisions from space debris. If there was an impact that would cause catastrophic damage.”
Tags: Air Force, Intelsat General Corporation, NASA, satellite, space, threat
Tracking whats above
March 31st, 2009 | National Space Symposium | Posted by Michael Hoffman
The Air Force wants to more than double how many satellites it can track by Oct. 1, said Col. Dusty Tyson, chief of the Air Force space control division.
Air Force Secretary Michael Donley, Air Force Space Command chief Gen. Robert Kehler and U.S. Strategic Command Gen. Kevin Chilton all met inside the Pentagon with CEOs from the ten top satellite companies on March 24 to discuss how the U.S. and the satellite industry can cooperate and reach this goal.
A collision between a Russian and U.S. satellite in February brought national attention to the crowd of satellites and debris floating in Earth’s orbit.
Officials want to increase the number of maneuverable satellites the Air Force tracks from 330 to 800, Tyson said.
Tags: Gen. Kevin Chilton, Gen. Robert Kehler, National Space Symposium, satellite, Secretary Michael Donley