Development of responsive space systems at the US Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Directorate

The United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is seeking to develop a new class of space systems that can be rapidly employed to meet changing conditions around the world. These systems are being developed with a strong focus on keeping the life-cycle cost very low, on getting the response time down to a matter of days, and on getting "actionable information" to decision makers. This program is composed of two parts. The first part is a technology development effort that seeks to leverage commercially available technology as much as possible. The second part is a demonstration program that consists of a series of space flights on twelve to eighteen month centers. This program is focused on all aspects of space missions: launch vehicle, launch range, satellite, payload, mission support and logistics. The successful development of responsive space systems will increase the security of the US and its allies. It will also lead to commercial spin-off missions and will increase the market base for space systems. This paper will address the key aspects of this program: the technology development efforts, including the commercially available technologies that are being leveraged, the planned space demonstrations, and potential spin-off commercial applications.