ORLANDO, Fla. — The U.S. Space Force will launch a new market research study next year to assess commercial weather services to fill some of the military’s ever-growing data needs. The move comes amid concerns that the military’s current reliance on a patchwork of international and domestic sources is inadequate for future operational demands.
“We have a long list of requirements,” said Col. Robert Davis, program executive officer for space sensing at the Space Systems Command.
While weather data is undeniably crucial for military operations, Davis said in an interview at the Space Force Association’s Spacepower conference, it faces stiff competition for resources within the Space Force budget.
Davis oversees a $24 billion portfolio of space sensors including missile-warning and missile-tracking systems, and environmental monitoring satellites. Missile warning and tracking systems consume the majority of that funding and weather satellites haven’t received nearly the same level of funding or focus.
Report raised alarm
The issue has drawn renewed attention following the release last month of a report by the Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies criticizing DoD’s lagging efforts to recapitalize its environmental monitoring satellites as the aging Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) constellation nears the end of its life.
Only two DMSP satellites are still functioning, and DoD has become increasingly reliant on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Europe’s Eumetsat, the Japan Meteorological Agency and other partners.
Davis said the upcoming study represents a concerted effort to explore commercial solutions as the Space Force anticipates tight budgets and likely will not be able to afford to buy a large constellation to replace the polar-orbiting DMSPs.
The Space Force is developing a small weather satellite called the Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) Weather System…
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