COLORADOSPRINGS, COLORADO -- The use of spacecraft for national security purposes andto combat terrorism is on a dramatic growth curve. That increased reliancecalls for new spaceborne abilities, protection of orbiting hardware, quick accessto space, and an overhaul of how America's military and security organizationsutilize satellite assets.

"It'san exciting time to be involved in our nation's national security spaceprogram," said Peter Teets, Undersecretary of the Air Force. "You canfeel that there's change in the air," he said.

Onthe job for some two months, Teets outlined a variety of space issues that henow confronts, speaking here February 19 at SpaceComm 2002, "ShapingInformation Operations and Space Leadership".

TheRocky Mountain Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications ElectronicsAssociation (AFCEA) and the United States Space Command hosts SpaceComm 2002.

Co-mingling

Teetssaid that along with his Air Force duties -- and also being director of the NationalReconnaissance Office -- he is taking on a new task. He now has "milestonedecision authority" for Department of Defense space programs. That addedrole has as a top priority the "co-mingling" of Air Force, Army andNavy space requirements, he said.

Tothis end, an immediate task of Teets is to streamline acquisition procedures.Special Defense Space Acquisition Boards would help speed up the design,building, and placement of space systems. Several key programs are now offtrack, he said, pointing specifically to the Space-Based Infrared System(SBIRS) High program.

"We'vehad some major programmatic difficulties with our SIBRS High program,"Teets said. Fixing the project and launching it is a high priority, he said, asit would provide early warning, serve technical intelligence and battlespacecharacterization needs, and can enable a successful missile defense system forthe United States.

TheSBIRS High program is being reviewed by NRO for possible restructuring. Acourse of action on how to proceed is to be completed in the next couple ofmonths, Teets said.

Alsoexperiencing acquisition difficulty, Teets added, is the Global PositioningSystem III (GPS III) satellite program.

Access tospace

Teetssaid he has started looking at the issue of assured access to space.

"Whenwe want to go, we've got to be able to go," Teets said. But in this arena,there are "a couple of disturbing factors," he said.

Inreviewing the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program,Teets said, "I find there's some single points of failure."

Teetssaid the RL-10 engine used in Boeing's Delta IV launcher is a worry. "Ifan RL-10 engine has a significant flight problem, we're going to be down for awhile. I'd like to see us move ahead with an effort that would eliminate thatsingle point failure," he said.

Inthe case of Lockheed Martin's Atlas V, that vehicle uses a new Russian-designedand -built Atlas RD-180 engine. Use of rocket engine propulsion technology thatis not produced in the United States, and cannot currently be produced in theUnited States, "troubles me some," Teets said,

Teets,a retired President and Chief Operating Officer of Lockheed Martin, said thatthe RL-10 and RD-180 engines are single points of failure. He plans to addressthis subject in the near future.

Bothof the EELV boosters are to make maiden flights this year.

Military spaceplane

Inassessing the promise of reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), the Undersecretary ofthe Air Force stated that they are "definitely in the cards," but"just how far down stream is down stream" is yet to be determined.

AirForce partnership with NASA on RLV development has begun, Teets said. However,the two organizations appear to have different needs to satisfy via RLVs, headded.

"Clearly,NASA is looking for a shuttle replacement vehicle. Military space probablydoesn't have the same lift requirements [as does] the shuttlereplacement," Teets said. Furthermore, while manned space will ultimatelybe important to the Air Force, "it's probably not the first priority for areusable launch system," he said.

"Weall know that when you build manned space into a launch system, it's a reallydifferent dynamic," Teets said. "My attitude is to embrace therelationship with NASAmove forward in both NASA's interests as well asnational security space interest."

Sproutingspace wings

Accordingto SPACE.com sources familiar with Air Force requirements, a militaryspace plane has gathered momentum, sparked largely by missions deemed usefulfor Operation Enduring Freedom. Assured access to space is now considered a keyrequirement. But there is a schism between NASA and Air Force wants and needs.

Forone, the Air Force is looking for an ability to place 15,000 pounds (6,800kilograms) into low Earth orbit. NASA would require 45,000 pounds to 60,000pounds (20,455 kilograms to 27,273 kilograms) to meet crew requirements. Also,the Air Force needs a vehicle ready-for-flight on the order of an 8-hourcall-up.

Theprospect of a joint, Air Force-NASA flight demonstration vehicle has beendiscussed.

Oneidea is for the two organizations to pony up $900 million each, resulting in aflight demonstrator taking to space in 2006. Termed a "Y" vehicleversus an "X" vehicle, the Air Force would make operational use ofthe craft following a series of flight tests.

Real-time infoto war fighters

Teetssaid that new monies are being sought for research and development, geared to enhancemilitary space prowess. The national security space community is gearing up toenhance remote sensing from space, intelligence collection in Earth orbit, andcreating a more robust "bandwidth on demand" telecommunications andinformation dissemination infrastructure, he said.

Acombination of space-based technologies can provide "universal situationalawareness", Teets said. "Providing graphic, real-time information tothe war fightersthat is what national security space is really allabout," he said.

Collectingbetter intelligence, in a more persistent way, is on tap, Teets said, "inEarth orbit, in the air around the Earth, on the surface of the Earthboth landand sea, and yes, in caves or tunnelsunder the Earth, as well."

"Thiswar on terrorism is a very, very real thing, something that we're going to befaced with for, not weeks or months ahead, but for years ahead, Teets said.While all the work can't be done entirely from orbit, a significant part ofthat job can be accomplished from space, he said.

"Thisis a unique point in time. All of a sudden, the American people sort of have aglimpse of just how important space assets can be to their own security,"Teets concluded.