Gen. William Shelton, commander of Air Force Space Command, has outlined plans for future U.S. satellites in an effort to address growing threats, the American Forces Press Service reported Wednesday.Shelton told audiences at the Atlantic Council that the U.S. Air Force must adjust its satellite constellations and bolster its space situational awareness as other nations begin to build counter-space technologies, Cheryl Pellerin reports.
“Our need date is the mid-2020s for replacements to the current satellite programs of record,†he said.
He said AFSPC looks to disaggregate its constellations to bolster “flexibility and survivability,†according to the report.
The service also plans to have its payloads hosted on commercial and other government satellites, use commercial satellite communications and form partnerships with other nations in order to sustain critical space systems and reduce costs, Pellerin reports.
Pellerin writes AFSPCÂ seeks to enhance its space situational awareness through the Joint Space Operations Center Mission System Program for sensor data processing and command and control platform.
Shelton said the Space Fence will work to monitor “threatening satellite maneuvers and rocket body breakups that cause increased orbital debris traffic,†reports AFPS.
