Ballistic Missile Defense System Space Programs

Mission— Hypersonic & Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) Prototyping

HBTSS will demonstrate a resilient, flexible, and global capability to detect and track hypersonic missiles and detect and track ballistic missiles in the boost phase of flight. The fire-control quality tracking data will allow long range engagement of the threat while enhanced tracking accuracy through missile burn out will provide the Warfighting community increased capability in missile defense weapons systems engagement and higher accuracy impact predictions. The HBTSS prototype demonstration's priority is to maintain the pace of the development schedule given the urgent Warfighter need to address rapidly developing threats. To meet this priority, HBTSS must use high technology readiness level components, take advantage of existing government capabilities to minimize development, use a management culture that does not slow down the pace of development, and use the Other Transaction Authority (OTA) to minimize contracting cycle times. OTAs allow the government to work with traditional, non-traditional, and new space businesses to identify and implement innovative solutions. The HBTSS prototype demonstration seeks to demonstrate the ability to meet requirements derived from United States Strategic Command Prioritized Capabilities List, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, and the Joint Requirements Oversight Council Capability Development Document for Missile Warning (MW)/Missile Defense (MD) Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR). The HBTSS developed target detection algorithms and evaluated them in a Signal-chain Processing Demonstration, providing insight into the constellation architecture, communications approach, and preliminary command and control design aspects. These results informed the development of the HBTSS prototype demonstration Space Vehicles (SVs) and demonstrated the ability to detect and track dim targets in a cluttered background along with the sensitivity necessary to support the hypersonic kill chain. Operationally, the HBTSS fire-control capability will be part of Space Development Agency's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture and will detect hypersonic, ballistic, and other advanced threats much sooner than terrestrial radars, providing hypersonic threat-tracking data for hand off through linked missile defense weapons. After Launch and Early On-Orbit Testing (LEOT), HBTSS will conduct on-orbit testing, utilizing the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Integrated Master Test Plan (IMTP), non-IMTP partner flight test events, and Targets of Opportunity to test, characterize and validate the HBTSS performance. Following the successful demonstration of HBTSS capabilities, the responsibility for HBTSS operational fielding will be transferred to the United States (U.S.) Space Force and the MDA will continue the development of the next-generation of space-based fire control sensors for missile defense.

Mission— Program-Wide Support

PWS contains non-headquarters management costs in support of Missile Defense Agency (MDA) functions and activities across the entire Missile Defense System. These functions include Government Civilians and Contract Support Services. This effort provides integrity and oversight of the Missile Defense System as well as supports MDA in the development and evaluation of technologies that will respond to the changing threat. Additionally, PWS includes personnel to support global deployments performing deployment site preparation and activation, and provides facility capabilities for MDA Executing Agent locations worldwide. Other MDA wide costs include: physical and technical security; civilian drug testing; audit readiness; the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program; legal services and settlements; travel and agency training; office, equipment, vehicle, and warehouse leases; utilities and base operations across multiple geographic locations; commercial and ancillary facility services; management of all facility aspects regardless of lifecycle stage; supplies and maintenance; compliance with statutory environmental requirements; data and unified communications support; materiel and readiness and central property management of equipment; Facilities Sustainment, Restoration and Modernization (FSRM) program (formerly Real Property Maintenance) to keep the Department's inventory of facilities in good working order; and similar operating expenses. PWS is allocated on a pro-rata basis across most Agency PEs; therefore, fluctuates per PE by fiscal year based on the total Agency budget in that fiscal year.

Mission— MD Space Exp Center (MDSEC)

The SKA system is composed of two segments: a space segment and a ground segment. The space segment is composed of a network of small infrared sensors (sensors, processor cards and cabling), each mated to a different satellite. The total number of sensors and their network placement are specifically tailored for the hit and kill assessment missions. The space segment includes key design features to improve its resiliency. The ground segment monitors the health and status of the on-orbit sensors, commands the sensors to perform the hit and kill assessment mission, and analyzes the data to make a hit/kill assessment determination. The ground segment also includes the equipment necessary for communications security and information assurance. The Missile Defense Space Center (MDSC) provides the critical infrastructure for SKA data, routing SKA data between the commercial payload integrator and the multi-mission Missile Defense Space Enterprise Architecture (MDSEA). Due to higher Department of Defense priorities, the SKA experiment will be cancelled in FY 2026 after successfully demonstrating hit-assessment capabilities from space. Space Applications for Missile Defense (SAMD) provides for the functional elements of the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Contractor Support Services, Federally Funded Research and Development Center/University Affiliated Research Center, and civilian manpower into a single entity that provides acquisition, financial, and technical support across the MDA Space Sensors enterprise. SAMD also provides the MDSEA platform and MDSC infrastructure which provides multi-mission ground segment support for current and future Missile Defense System Space Programs. MDSEA is a highly scalable compute platform that provides mission commanding, data processing, and data storage services for the missile defense space architecture.

Mission— Ballistic Missile Defense System Space Programs

SKA: The SKA project will deliver dedicated space sensors contributing to hit and kill assessment for Homeland Defense. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Missile Defense System intercept testing experience provided a solid understanding of kill assessment physics to enable exploration of this critical capability. SKA incorporates Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommendations to examine the operational feasibility of disaggregating large satellites and to provide data for the business case for shared versus dedicated satellite control, including the ground antenna networks. The favorable cost and schedule performance on SKA is also consistent with the GAO's assessment of hosted payload programs. The SKA experiment utilizes a network of small infrared sensors integrated onto host satellites that while on orbit observe missile defense intercepts and deliver situational awareness hit and kill assessment declarations. Hypersonic & Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS): HBTSS will demonstrate a schedule-focused, cost-constrained capability to detect and track hypersonic threats and boosting conventional ballistic missiles. The key characteristic of the HBTSS prototype demonstration that sets it apart from other Overhead Persistent Infrared sensors is the requirement to provide fire-control quality tracking data. The enhanced tracking accuracy through missile burn out on ballistic threats and the enhanced tracking accuracy on hypersonic threats will provide the warfighter increased missile defense weapons systems engagement capability and higher accuracy impact predictions. The requirement for fire-control data necessitates that HBTSS be a highly sensitive, low-latency, high quality of service system. Following the successful demonstration of HBTSS capabilities, the responsibility for HBTSS operational fielding will be transferred to the United States Space Force and the MDA will continue the development of the next-generation of space-based fire control sensors for missile defense. Operationally, the HBTSS fire-control capability will be part of Space Development Agency's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture and will detect hypersonic, ballistic, and other advanced threats much sooner than terrestrial radars, providing hypersonic threat-tracking data for hand off through linked missile defense weapons. Space Applications for Missile Defense (SAMD): SAMD supports Golden Dome for America and Next-Generation Missile defense by providing systems-of-systems engineering, technology integration, global test (ground, flight and operational acceptance) and configuration of prototype and operational space capabilities internally and across agencies and service. Additionally, SAMD provides strategic planning, requirements development, program coordination and integration, acquisition, financial management, cost estimating, contracting, program protection, logistics, mission assurance, engineering, and program assessments for development and acquisition of space applications within MDA and jointly with the Agencies and Services. Beginning in FY 2026, SAMD will consolidate funding for the Missile Defense Space Enterprise Architecture to provide enterprise-level operations and sustainment in support of Missile Defense System Space Programs experimentation and testing. Individual programs will continue to fund mission unique requirements. Rapidly evolving rogue and peer missile threats have led to a change in national defense policy. The President's January 27, 2025, Executive Order established a goal of protecting the U.S. citizens, safeguarding critical infrastructure, and securing second-strike capability against missile attack from any adversary. MDA is responding with speed and intensity to deliver next-generation missile defenses to protect the U.S. against ballistic, hypersonic, cruise, and other advanced missile threats. This program submission reflects changes necessary to meet this evolving mission space. This Program Element (PE) also funds Cybersecurity efforts necessary to support Missile Defense System Space Programs.

Mission— MD Space Exp Center (MDSEC)

Ballistic Missile Defense System Space Programs Cyber Operations sustain the Missile Defense Agency Risk Management Framework (RMF) and Security Controls Assessments/Controls Validation Testing activities, analysis of validation results, risk assessments, and reviews of proposed Program Manager/Information System Security Manager Plans of Action and Milestones (POA&Ms) for Ballistic Missile Defense System Space Program mission systems. Activities in this project are necessary to comply with the Federal Information Security Management Act.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (5)