Saturday, August 13, 2022
  • About us
    • Write for us
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms of use
    • Privacy Policy
  • RSS Feeds
  • Advertise with us
  • Contact us
DefenceTalk
  • Home
  • Defense News
    • Defense & Geopolitics News
    • War Conflicts News
    • Army News
    • Air Force News
    • Navy News
    • Missiles Systems News
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Defense Technology
    • Cybersecurity News
  • Military Photos
  • Defense Forum
  • Military Videos
  • Military Weapon Systems
    • Weapon Systems
    • Reports
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Defense News
    • Defense & Geopolitics News
    • War Conflicts News
    • Army News
    • Air Force News
    • Navy News
    • Missiles Systems News
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Defense Technology
    • Cybersecurity News
  • Military Photos
  • Defense Forum
  • Military Videos
  • Military Weapon Systems
    • Weapon Systems
    • Reports
No Result
View All Result
DefenceTalk
No Result
View All Result

US Army looks to leverage ‘low Earth orbit’ satellites

by Army News Service
March 11, 2020
in Technology News
3 min read
0
US Army looks to leverage ‘low Earth orbit’ satellites

A DOD low Earth orbit Pico satellite is shown here after launch in 2010. Known as the Atmospheric Neutral Density Experiment, or ANDE, it consists of two micro-satellites to measure the density and composition of the low Earth orbit, or LEO atmosphere, to better predict the movement of objects in orbit. (Photo Credit: NASA)

14
VIEWS

Constellations of small satellites orbiting close to Earth may provide faster communications and be less vulnerable than traditional ones, defense officials said Thursday.

Larger geosynchronous satellites are very expensive and vulnerable to attack, said Dr. Mark Lewis, director of the Defense Research and Engineering for Modernization Office. He chaired a panel discussion at the Association of the U.S. Army’s “Hot Topics” forum on space and integrated air and missile defense.

“Right now many of our space assets are not only targets, they are juicy targets,” Lewis said, adding that he was echoing the words of Air Force Gen. John Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Smaller, low Earth orbit satellites, known as LEO, will present less of a target, Lewis said, partly because they move at faster speeds and because they will orbit in large numbers.

“More is better for the purpose of confounding a prospective adversary,” he said.

LEO MEGACONSTELLATIONS
Private companies like Amazon, Telesat and Elon Musk’s SpaceX have plans to launch thousands of the small LEO satellites over the next few years.

LEO satellites are not geostationary like higher-altitude communications satellites that move at about the speed of the earth’s rotation and appear to stay above a fixed location.

Traditional geosynchronous satellites orbit about 22,000 miles above the earth. In contrast, LEO satellites are only between 100 and 1,240 miles above the planet.

Since LEO satellites are up to 200 times closer to the earth, radio waves will have much less latency, meaning the signals bounce back much faster. While the latency of traditional satellites makes them impractical for fast Internet services, LEO satellites have the potential to enable networks in remote parts of the world.

Just last week Vodofone and Rakuten announced a plan to fund a broadband cellphone network using a constellation of LEO satellites. Other companies are planning to establish high-speed internet in rural areas using LEO satellites.

FUTURES COMMAND PERSPECTIVE
The proliferation of LEO satellites will provide the Army an unprecedented opportunity, said Col. Jason Joose, chief of staff for the Army’s Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing Cross-Functional Team.

“When you look at the sheer number of satellites that go up and the reduced cost to do it, it gives us an array of opportunities on how to solve the problems,” Joose said.

Whether the Army launches its own satellites or hosts payloads with companies, he said just the fact that the commercial sector is putting up a large investment in LEO provides the Army opportunities to “look at areas where we can leverage” for the future.

Space assets will be critical in the future to counter electronic warfare, Joose said.

“We want to have an understanding of where the jamming and spoofing is coming from,” he said, and space-based sensors will be needed to gain that awareness.

Space sensors will also be essential for both missile defense and long-range precision fires, he said.

“We need to reduce that time to target,” he said, and bringing terrestrial data to ground-based stations is the way to accomplish that.

MULTI-DOMAIN OPS
A requirement to shoot farther will bring the need to see farther using space, said Col. Craig Roseberry, director of space for the Army’s G-3/5/7.

Formations will need to leverage every available sensor in space to “outmaneuver adversaries both physically and cognitively,” he said.

Roseberry said the future depends upon improving the resiliency of space architecture.

The ability of commercial companies to launch LEOs in volume and at a reduced cost could certainly improve the resiliency of the Army in space, Joose said.

The Army is currently in the “evaluation stage” to determine just how LEO could meet the needs of future multi-domain operations, he said.

“Is there a plan for an Army-specific LEO structure?” he asked. “No, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that a lot of thought hasn’t been put into what are the capabilities that are available now, what do we need to fight our future MDO and then what’s relevant to distill it down to the warfighter, in what density, in what capacity and which pipelines these need to flow.”

He said one of the things Army Futures Command does is work with industry to determine what capabilities are available and figure out how to bring those down to the Soldier level.

“We are very strong proponents of concepts such as proliferated LEO,” Lewis said. “We think that’s a way to ensure that our systems are less vulnerable and also can be replenished more quickly.

“We have built a space architecture that is frankly not robust and resilient against attack and our goal is to change that,” he added.

Tags: communicationssatellitesspaceus army
Previous Post

Fighter jet crashes in Pakistan capital during parade rehearsal

Next Post

US Army budgets target transformational change

Related Posts

US moves closer to retaliation over hacking as cyber woes grow

Finnish parliament website targeted in cyber attack

August 10, 2022

Finland's parliament said Tuesday its website came under cyber attack, as the Nordic country applies for NATO membership following Moscow's...

US DoD Working to Improve Cybersecurity for Its Industrial Base

USCYBERCOM Releases IoCs for Malware Targeting Ukraine

July 21, 2022

FORT GEORGE E. MEADE: In close coordination with the Security Service of Ukraine, USCYBERCOM’s Cyber National Mission Force is disclosing...

Next Post
US Army budgets target transformational change

US Army budgets target transformational change

Latest Defense News

Philippines cancels Russia helicopter deal over US sanctions

Philippines cancels Russia helicopter deal over US sanctions

August 10, 2022
West eyes more pressure on Russia after Ukraine nuclear plant attack

13 killed in Russian strikes near nuclear plant

August 10, 2022
Iran to hold new wargames in key oil waterway

Iran navy says repelled attack on ship in Red Sea

August 10, 2022
China will ‘take the gloves off’ over Taiwan: media

Taiwan FM says China using drills to ‘prepare for invasion’

August 10, 2022
US moves closer to retaliation over hacking as cyber woes grow

Finnish parliament website targeted in cyber attack

August 10, 2022
People displaced by the fighting in Burma's Laukai approach a rescue convoy

Mounting proof of crimes against humanity in Myanmar: UN probe

August 10, 2022

Defense Forum Discussions

  • The Russian-Ukrainian War Thread
  • General Aviation Thread
  • Royal Air Force [RAF] discussions and updates
  • Royal Australian Navy Discussions and Updates 2.0
  • Australian Army Discussions and Updates
  • Royal Australian Air Force [RAAF] News, Discussions and Updates
  • Indo Pacific strategy
  • Fantasy RAN thread (Carriers only)
  • Spectacular RAF Typhoon Display at RAF Coningsby - Demonstration Practice
  • Large Formation Hercules Recovery at Eindhoven
DefenceTalk

© 2003-2020 DefenceTalk.com

Navigate Site

  • Defence Forum
  • Military Photos
  • RSS Feeds
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Contact us

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Defense News
    • Defense & Geopolitics News
    • War Conflicts News
    • Army News
    • Air Force News
    • Navy News
    • Missiles Systems News
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Defense Technology
    • Cybersecurity News
  • Military Photos
  • Defense Forum
  • Military Videos
  • Military Weapon Systems
    • Weapon Systems
    • Reports

© 2003-2020 DefenceTalk.com