Next Generation OPIR

Mission — Space Mod Initiative source

Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) Space Modernization Initiative (SMI) (Project 657009): To better enable response to emerging global missile threats, SMI advances critical capabilities and reduces risk through four major thrust areas: Demonstrations/Prototypes, Technology Maturation, Data Exploitation, and Wide Field of View (WFOV) On-Orbit Testbed Mission Integration, each with a flagship investment. Demonstrations rapidly prototype new game-changing technologies for the broader mission warning enterprise by delivering ground and on-orbit prototypes. Demonstrations advance OPIR capabilities for missile warning and tracking ensuring a low risk, smooth transition of advanced technology to future operational systems. Technology Maturation focuses investments on high pay-off critical components to reduce production risks and development costs. Technology Maturation focuses development on advanced Infrared (IR) sensing optics and electronics, resiliency hardware and software, and on-board processing algorithms and on-board computers. Data Exploitation provides return-on-investment aimed at ingestion and fusion of current and future proliferated sensor program data to enhance missile warning, missile defense, battlespace awareness and technical intelligence mission capabilities. This includes the processing and exploitation of legacy Space Based Infrared Systems (SBIRS) wideband data and its fusion with Wide Field of View (WFOV) Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) wideband sensor. Subsequently, this work will expand to include the ingestion and fusion of WFOV Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Next-Gen GEO, Resilient Missile Warning/Missile Tracking (MW/MT) Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO) and other data as it becomes available as well as overcoming the proliferated sensor challenges expected with the large volumes of data and tracks that could overwhelm the enterprise and operators. Data Exploitation will focus on automation and innovation to overcome these challenges to include Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) that reduce cognitive workload reduction of the operators. Data Exploitation includes maintaining the Boulder Ground Innovation Facility (BGIF) and associated Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) Tool, Applications, and Processing (TAP) Lab infrastructure and DevSecOps Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) pipeline used for advanced software application and algorithm development. WFOV On-Orbit Testbed Mission Integration advances the capability of the OPIR enterprise by augmenting it with data from the Wide Field of View (WFOV) system. Testbed system will provide data to operations, as available, demonstrate the value of new OPIR system Concept of Operations (CONOPS) and work to integrate MW/MT data into new mission areas. SMI funds engineering activities to reduce both production and future system costs through manufacturing and producibility enhancements, and technology insertion. SMI includes studies and risk reduction activities to evolve the current Program of Record (PoR) constellation and/or simultaneously mature breakthrough technologies to create a leap in capability for follow-on systems to include Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution (FORGE), Next-Gen GEO and Polar, and Resilient Missile Warning/Missile Tracking (MW/MT), Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO).

Mission — Next Generation OPIR source

The Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) program succeeds the current Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) and will provide improved missile warning, missile defense, battlespace awareness, and technical intelligence collection capabilities that are more survivable against emerging adversary threats. The program will deliver prototypes and demonstrations of novel Missile Warning/Missile Tracking (MW/MT) approaches and technologies; invest in critical industrial base gaps to meet future production needs; mature advanced target tracking and typing concepts to meet emerging threats; and an integration effort will identify, plan, manage and execute integration activities at the enterprise level. Due to funding transfers to segregate Next-Gen OPIR into other Program Elements, PE 1206442SF is now comprised of two projects: 1. Next-Gen OPIR Space Modernization Initiative (SMI) and 2. Integration. 1. SMI (Project 657009/Program Element 1206442SF): To better enable response to emerging global missile threats, SMI advances capabilities and reduces risk through four major thrust areas: Demonstrations/Prototypes, Technology Maturation, Data Exploitation, and Wide Field of View (WFOV) On-Orbit Testbed Mission Integration, each with a flagship investment. Demonstrations mature technologies by delivering ground and on-orbit prototypes. These demonstrations advance OPIR capabilities for missile warning and tracking, ensuring low risk transition of advanced technology to future operational systems. Each year, Space Systems Command (SSC) conducts a review of all technical development needs for future OPIR systems across the stakeholder community to include the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Space Development Agency (SDA), Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), and mission partners to analyze future capability gaps and shared technology development interests in order to identify and prioritize development projects to maximize utility of SMI funds. Technology Maturation focuses development on advanced infrared sensing optics and electronics, resiliency hardware and software, and on-board processing algorithms and on-board computers. The investments within the Technology Maturation portfolio are heavily focused on developments that will benefit programs across SSC, SDA, MDA, and the Intelligence Community. Data Exploitation provides return-on-investment aimed at ingestion and fusion of current and future proliferated sensor program data to enhance missile warning, missile tracking, missile defense, battlespace awareness and technical intelligence mission capabilities. This includes the processing and exploitation of legacy SBIRS wideband data and its fusion with Wide Field of View (WFOV) Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) wideband sensor data focused on dimmer threat targets and the Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM). Subsequently, this work will expand to include ingestion and fusion of WFOV Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Resilient Missile Warning/Missile Tracking (MW/MT), Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO) and other data as it becomes available. The large volume of data and event detections expected from these proliferated OPIR sensors threaten to overwhelm the enterprise and operators. Data Exploitation will focus on incorporating automation and innovation to overcome these challenges. Initiatives include leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) to reduce cognitive workload on operators while maintaining full operator oversight. The Data Exploitation thrust area includes maintaining the Boulder Ground Innovation Facility (BGIF) as the host location for the OPIR Tool, Applications, and Processing Laboratory (TAP Lab) Information Technology (IT) infrastructure and DevSecOps Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) pipeline used by the OPIR TAP Lab to develop and field advanced software applications and algorithms. WFOV On-Orbit Testbed Mission Integration, brings new or enhanced capabilities to the operational community. SMI funds engineering activities to reduce both production and future system costs through manufacturing and producibility enhancements, and technology insertion. SMI includes risk reduction for Program of Record (PoR) to deliver capabilities on threat-relevant timelines to include Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution (FORGE), Next-Gen Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO), and Resilient Missile Warning/Missile Tracking (MW/MT), Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO). 2. Integration (Project 657123/Program Element 1206442SF): The Next-Gen Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) Integration project includes efforts associated with the Government's primary role in, and tasks necessary to accomplish, the critical lead system integration function between the OPIR enterprise segments (Next-Gen Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO), Next-Gen Ground, and the Resilient MW/MT Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)/Low Earth Orbit (LEO) architecture). This includes Enterprise Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I) activities, Modeling and Simulation activities, and Digital Engineering activities, to include Model Based System Engineering (MBSE). The focus of the Integration project is on system-level integration activities, between the Next-Gen OPIR segments, such as Space to Ground. This differs from integration within the individual program segments, which refers to subsystem-level integration between subsystems such as a spacecraft bus to the mission payload. The Government Integrator directs the Next-Gen OPIR current enterprise architecture and system definition, controls and validates interfaces, ensures compatibility of Next-Gen systems, and develops/manages plans for execution and fielding of the Next-Gen OPIR Enterprise. Further, the Integrator, through various Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), government partners, and contractors, executes unique MBSE and integration requirements of each segment by providing modeling, simulation, and technical analyses of Government-directed enterprise level trades among the Next-Gen OPIR segments. These trades lead to definition, management, maintenance, and evolution of the Next-Gen OPIR Enterprise requirements and interface technical documents to ensure the integrity of the enterprise technical baseline. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver Next-Gen OPIR weapon system capabilities. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program elements 1206392SF and 1206389SF. This program is in Budget Activity 5, System Development and Demonstration (SDD) because the majority of Projects under PE 1206442SF have been declared Section 804 Rapid Prototype efforts conducting engineering and manufacturing development tasks aimed at meeting validated requirements prior to full rate production.

Mission — Integration source

The Government works with the Enterprise System Engineering & Integration (SE&I) contractor as a team to define the Next-Gen OPIR enterprise architecture, control and validate interfaces, ensure compatibility of Next-Gen OPIR systems, and develop/manage plans for fielding the Next-Gen OPIR segments. Further, the Enterprise SE&I executes system-level integration requirements between segments such as Space to Ground. This differs from integration within each segment; integration within segments refers to subsystem-level integration between subsystems such as a spacecraft bus to the mission payload. The Government Integrator is responsible for defining the Next-Gen OPIR enterprise architecture, controls and validates interfaces, ensures compatibility of Next-Gen OPIR systems, and develops/manages plans for fielding the Next-Gen OPIR Enterprise. Further, the Integrator executes Model Based System Engineering (MBSE) through modeling, simulation, and technical analyses of Government-directed enterprise level trades among the Next-Gen OPIR segments. These trades lead to definition, management, maintenance, and evolution of the Next-Gen OPIR Enterprise technical requirements and interface documents to ensure the integrity of the enterprise technical baseline.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (5)