Weather System Follow-on

Mission — WSF-M source

The Weather System Follow-on - Microwave (WSF-M) Project 65A039 includes funds for the WSF-M system, the Compact Ocean Wind Vector Radiometer (COWVR) technology demonstration, and the Energetic Charged Particle (ECP) sensor development. Weather System Follow-on (WSF) is a Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) microwave imaging system developed and delivered by the United States Space Force's Space Systems Command (SSC). WSF is the next generation of space-based passive microwave sensing technology. It will provide U.S. and Allied warfighters with essential weather data, including the measurement of ocean surface wind speed and direction, ice thickness, snow depth, soil moisture, and local spacecraft energetic charged particle environment. The ocean surface wind speed measurement enables tropical cyclone intensity determination by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The data gathered by WSF will be provided to meteorologists in support of the generation of a wide variety of weather products necessary to conduct mission planning and operations globally. WSF is an Acquisition Category IB program comprised of two Space Vehicles (SV) and their associated command, control, and data dissemination network. Global environmental monitoring data is gathered, stored, and downlinked through the Satellite Control Network (SCN) and disseminated to Air Force and Navy weather centers. Additionally, data is broadcast real time by the satellite for utilization by heritage Direct Readout Terminals that use the data for local weather forecasting. WSF is a Major Defense Acquisition Program (MDAP) with the Space Force as the lead component. Founded on the Space-Based Environmental Monitoring (SBEM) Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) results, the WSF will be to enable: 1) Timely weather collection over broad oceans in support of maneuvering forces. 2) Space weather capabilities to characterize operational orbits, space situational awareness, and the ionosphere. Secondary investments may be supported to address weather gaps identified in the SBEM AoA and validated by the JROC. The Space Force will pursue prototyping of latest commercial industry capabilities for simplified designs to meet the SBEM Gap requirements. COWVR is an on-orbit demonstration project of the new COWVR technology to deliver Weather Gap #3, Ocean Surface Vector Winds (OSVW) and Gap #8, Tropical Cyclone Intensity (TCI). ECP supports the SBEM Weather Gap #11, Low Earth Orbit Energetic Charged Particle Characterization. To support this requirement, the ECP sensor will be integrated on the WSF-M satellites.

Mission — Weather System Follow-on source

Weather System Follow-on program 1206422SF consists of Space Situational Awareness Environmental Monitoring (SSAEM) Project 65A038 and Weather System Follow-on - Microwave (WSF-M) Project 65A039. SSAEM Project 65A038 is a non-ACAT, Class D technology demonstration project to support the international Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate 2 (COSMIC-2) mission. The SSAEM program provides the acquisition, development and launch/on-orbit support of 18 space/terrestrial weather sensors to COSMIC-2 partnership in coordination with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Taiwan Space Agency (TASA). COSMIC-2 launched six satellites in an equatorial, Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with 3 SSAEM sensors on each spacecraft in FY 2019. The sensors are the primary Tri-Global Navigation Satellite System (Tri-GNSS) Radio occultation System (TGRS), and the secondary Ion Velocity Meter (IVM) and Radio Frequency Beacon (RFB). The SSAEM sensors will address three distinct Joint Requirement Oversight Committee (JROC)-approved Category A weather capability gaps, specifically Gap #4 (Ionospheric Density), Gap #7 (Equatorial Ionospheric Scintillation) and Gap #12 (Electric Field), to provide ionospheric space meteorological data to improve forecast capabilities and improve warfighter navigation/communication capabilities. TGRS also provides atmospheric refractivity profiles that are important inputs to DoD operational numerical weather prediction models. The Weather System Follow-on - Microwave (WSF-M) Project 65A039 includes funds for the WSF-M system, the Compact Ocean Wind Vector Radiometer (COWVR) technology demonstration, and the Energetic Charged Particle (ECP) sensor development. Weather System Follow-on (WSF) is a Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) microwave imaging system developed and delivered by the United States Space Force's Space Systems Command (SSC). WSF is the next generation of space-based passive microwave sensing technology. It will provide U.S. and Allied warfighters with essential weather data, including the measurement of ocean surface wind speed and direction, ice thickness, snow depth, soil moisture, and local spacecraft energetic charged particle environment. The ocean surface wind speed measurement enables tropical cyclone intensity determination by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The data gathered by WSF will be provided to meteorologists in support of the generation of a wide variety of weather products necessary to conduct mission planning and operations globally. WSF is an Acquisition Category IB program comprised of two Space Vehicles (SV) and their associated command, control, and data dissemination network. Global environmental monitoring data is gathered, stored, and downlinked through the Satellite Control Network (SCN) and disseminated to Air Force and Navy weather centers. Additionally, data is broadcast real time by the satellite for utilization by heritage Direct Readout Terminals that use the data for local weather forecasting. WSF is a Major Defense Acquisition Program (MDAP) with the Space Force as the lead component. Founded on the Space-Based Environmental Monitoring (SBEM) Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) results, the WSF will be to enable: 1) Timely weather collection over broad oceans in support of maneuvering forces. 2) Space weather capabilities to characterize operational orbits, space situational awareness, and the ionosphere. Secondary investments may be supported to address weather gaps identified in the SBEM AoA and validated by the JROC. The Space Force will pursue prototyping of latest commercial industry capabilities for simplified designs to meet the SBEM Gap requirements. COWVR is an on-orbit demonstration project of the new COWVR technology to deliver Weather Gap #3, Ocean Surface Vector Winds (OSVW) and Gap #8, Tropical Cyclone Intensity (TCI). ECP supports the SBEM Weather Gap #11, Low Earth Orbit Energetic Charged Particle Characterization. To support this requirement, the ECP sensor will be integrated on the WSF-M satellites. Rapidly respond to implement system resiliency and situational awareness necessary to operate in the contested space domain. Activities may include, but are not limited to program office support, studies, technical analysis, experimentation, risk reduction, prototyping, and activities that may leverage commercial, U.S. Government partnership, and international opportunities to respond to existing and emerging adversarial threats with speed and agility. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver WSF for weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program elements 1206392SF and 1206398SF. This program is in Budget Activity 5, System Development and Demonstration (SDD) because it has passed Milestone B approval and is conducting engineering and manufacturing development tasks aimed at meeting validated requirements prior to full rate production.

Mission — SSA Environmental Monitoring source

The Space Situational Awareness Environmental Monitoring (SSAEM) program is a non-ACAT, Class D technology demonstration project to support the international Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate 2 (COSMIC-2) mission. The SSAEM program provides the acquisition, development and launch/on-orbit support of 18 space/terrestrial weather sensors to COSMIC-2 partnership in coordination with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Taiwan Space Agency (TASA). COSMIC-2 launched six satellites in an equatorial, Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with 3 SSAEM sensors on each spacecraft in FY 2019. The sensors are the primary Tri-Global Navigation Satellite System (Tri-GNSS) Radio occultation System (TGRS), and the secondary Ion Velocity Meter (IVM) and Radio Frequency Beacon (RFB). The SSAEM sensors address three distinct Joint Requirement Oversight Committee (JROC)-approved Category A weather gaps, specifically Gap #4 (Ionospheric Density), Gap #7 (Equatorial Ionospheric Scintillation) and Gap #12 (Electric Field), to provide ionospheric space meteorological data to improve forecast capabilities and improve warfighter navigation/communication capabilities. TGRS also provides atmospheric refractivity profiles that are important inputs to DoD operational numerical weather prediction models. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver SSAEM for weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program elements 1206392SF and 1206398SF. The RFB ground station equipment was previously transferred to AFRL to continue development and potential fielding options for future ops capability. Incremental operational fixes and improvements to the TGRS sensor via a series of flight software/firmware uploads began in the months following launch, continue through the present and are expected to continue through FY 2026 at least. Design life has extended through FY 2033 due to system performance exceeding expectations.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (4)