Space Proliferated Acquisitions and Research for the Naval Warfighter

Abstract

"The first communications satellite was our Moon, which was used as a passive transponder by the U.S. Army Signal Corps in 1946. Since then, satellite communications progressed at a relatively slow pace and managed to yield a total satellite count in 2020 of 4,987. Since then, SpaceX now accounts for greater than 60% of all satellites in orbit. With this new space race, satellites have evolved from mostly communications services to innovative direct-to-mobile devices, Internet of Things (IoT), advanced military applications, and even cloud computing in space. The total satellite count is expected to exceed 60,000 by 2030. This paper will explore the current state of the Non-Geostationary Orbit satellite constellations and the U.S. Navy’s efforts to leverage this emerging capability through the development of the Satellite Terminal transportable Non-Geostationary terminal intended for fielding on surface and subsurface platforms. The paper will explore the Navy’s development of the terminal and discuss a new acquisition approach in which the key Navy priorities were conveyed by engaging industry directly via technical interchange meetings to influence satellite providers to address Navy priorities so that the Navy could fully leverage these capabilities and provide maximum capability to the warfighter."