http://militarydailynews.com/2010/01/plug-and-play-satellites-short-order-space-capability
On news of the TSAT cancellation, I expected some form of mitigation from the government to cover MILSTAT. This is a misread of the situation as WGS will serve as the backbone with replacement to be determined. If budget scales, that’s serving up a 10% solution.
Senate Report 111-035 – NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010
Next-generation military satellite communications
The budget request included no funds in Air Force Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDTEF), for next-generation military satellite communications to identify technologies that could be used on future military communications satellites. When the transformational communications satellite (T-Sat) was cancelled, several risk reduction efforts that could have application on future satellites were also cancelled. In addition, work on military unique radiation hardening requirements was also cancelled.
The committee recommends an increase of $50.0 million in a new program element, PE 604xxxF. This new PE would be created to explore communications technologies that could be utilized on future blocks of current communications satellite or eventually on next-generation communications satellite. This program would be similar in concept to the Third Generation Infrared Satellite System (3GIRS), which is conducting risk reduction efforts for next-generation overhead persistent infrared technologies. These risk reduction efforts should include continued efforts to reduce the cost, weight, and complexity of current radiation hardening techniques.
One of the many problems with the T-Sat program was that it was started with very immature technologies. In the future if there are to be new or evolved communications satellites, the committee wants to ensure that the technologies are sufficiently mature to be fielded with low cost and schedule risk.
