Architecting space programs

Joint Force Quarterly, Winter, 2002 by Stephen J. Ferrell, Hal E. Hagemeier

In complex military and intelligence operations, senior leaders must make difficult choices on employing existing capabilities, improving them, and developing new capabilities. Decisions are becoming more intricate because of costs, technology, operational utility, threat uncertainty, system complexity, and system-of-systems relationships. As difficulties increase, policymakers continue to seek approaches that better support their decisions.

One popular technique is architecting--considering end-to-end capabilities in the context of related capabilities to meet expected needs. It is essentially focused on the big picture to provide insight on the utility and relationships of the components. The Joint Requirements Oversight Council realizes the importance of identifying the way that capabilities fit into an operating concept as implemented under a joint integrated architecture. Moreover, the defense acquisition process is being revised to include architectures as means of characterizing relationships among various capabilities in order to guide systems development and associated investments.

Architectures are the structure, relationships, and principles that govern the design and evolution of elements that are linked in accomplishing a specific purpose. They inform choices well before they have to be made. They help explain the possible and the practical. It is important to note, though, that architectures exist on multiple levels: from specific, existing systems such as global positioning and its many components to far-term architectures for an entire enterprise such as communications.

Although space architectures exist on multiple levels, this analysis focuses on the mid and far term. Such architectures are potentially the most important in developing mission capabilities by providing a broad context for decisionmakers. Yet they are probably the least understood because they extend well beyond the future years defense program. They are vectors to vision statements, capabilities-based strategies, and enterprise-wide plans. Architecting, in this sense, is the process of defining national security space far-term objectives, planning near-and mid-term steps to accomplish them, and implementing informed decisions. Producing space architectures requires a dedicated effort to consider end-to-end capabilities across multiple organizations to achieve integrated results.

The Space Architect

The Secretary of Defense and the Director of Central Intelligence established the National Security Space Architect to develop and integrate security space architectures for the mid and long term across the full range of defense and national space missions. This organization is uniquely positioned to develop architecture over the next 15 to 25 years for the entire national security space enterprise. Recently, it has been tasked to assess trade-offs between space and nonspace solutions as well as the appropriate integration of space with land, sea, and air solutions, and to report on the consistency of implementation of national security space programs with policy, planning guidance, and architectural decisions.

These architectures are long-range goals and objectives expressed in terms of a framework for system development. They represent what the community believes will provide capabilities in the far term. Starting with existing architectures and examining future ones that will be available in the near and mid term based on planned investments, they also analyze alternatives to determine the best long-term course, given technologies, operational concepts, needs, threats, and resources. The resulting recommendations are supported by an investment strategy and roadmap.

Architecture recommendations often advocate actions necessary to ensure that the national security space community develops desired capabilities. They are neither point designs nor specific system designs--stakeholder organizations are capable of designing and building specific systems with the best available technology. Architectures define capabilities, principles, and relationships for achieving the overall desired capability in the future.

The National Security Space Architect develops these architectures collaboratively with the representatives of other interested agencies, spanning the military, intelligence, civil, and commercial sectors. It does not develop, build, buy, or operate space systems; consequently, the organization can be objective in considering various competing concepts and capabilities. The agency ensures that all relevant ideas, opinions, and concerns are thoroughly analyzed and considers both space and nonspace perspectives. It is as inclusive as possible in all architectures, studies, and activities it leads and relies heavily on stakeholders and other participants to bring their considerable expertise and knowledge to the table. Although it strives for consensus, the goal is to determine the best way ahead for future national space capabilities.

Past recommendations have been approved by time National Security Space Senior Steering Group, which is composed of agencies with a stake in the architecture or study. It is co-chaired by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence, the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence for Community Management, and the Director lot Force Structure, Resources, and Assessments, Joint Staff LI 8). The group has also directed transitional planning to guide implementation of architecture and study results when appropriate. Stakeholders then develop transition plans to implement approved architecture and study recommendations.