The United States Space Force is set to begin using antennas owned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to increase the capacity of its aging Satellite Control Network (SCN). According to a senior official, this collaboration will provide much-needed support for managing the growing number of U.S. government satellites.
The initiative, known as the Federal Augmentation Service (FAS), will become operational within the next one to two months. It represents a key step in a broader effort to modernize the critical infrastructure used to communicate with military, intelligence, and civil spacecraft.
Key Takeaways
- The U.S. Space Force will utilize NOAA's ground antennas to supplement its Satellite Control Network (SCN).
- This partnership, called the Federal Augmentation Service, is expected to be operational in the next 60 days.
- The move addresses the SCN's limited capacity as the number of U.S. government satellites increases.
- A parallel program, the Joint Antenna Marketplace (JAM), is being developed to integrate commercial ground station providers.
Addressing a Capacity Shortage
The Space Force's Satellite Control Network is a global system responsible for essential communication with government satellites. This includes spacecraft operated by the U.S. military, the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), NASA, and NOAA itself.
The network performs critical functions known as tracking, telemetry, and command (TT&C). These tasks involve pinpointing a satellite's location, monitoring its health and status, and sending commands for maneuvers or system adjustments.
The Satellite Control Network at a Glance
- Infrastructure: 19 antennas
- Locations: 7 ground stations worldwide
- Technology: Primarily older parabolic dishes that can only track one satellite at a time.
However, the SCN's infrastructure is aging and struggles to keep pace with the rapid increase in satellite launches. "We haven’t put up a new antenna in a while, right? And we’re, might have noticed, we’re launching a lot of stuff," said Col. Patrick Little, a program director at Space Systems Command (SSC).
The Federal Augmentation Service
The partnership with NOAA aims to alleviate this pressure by tapping into existing government resources. Col. Little explained that NOAA has excess antenna capacity that the Space Force can utilize. The FAS program, which began with a memorandum of understanding in 2023, serves as an initial step toward integrating external ground station resources.
"We have a program right now called Federal Augmentation Service, FAS, which is essentially leveraging some NOAA antennas. And so that... is sort of a prototype effort that’s going operational here very, very soon, next probably month or two," Col. Little stated at the Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance conference.
While he described the initial phase as "a little bit clunky," Col. Little emphasized that SSC has "learned a lot" from the experience. These lessons will inform future agreements with other government agencies and commercial companies.
Modernizing for the Future: The Joint Antenna Marketplace
The NOAA collaboration is part of a wider modernization strategy for the SCN, which has a proposed budget of $81.5 million for fiscal year 2025 and $93.8 million for fiscal year 2026. A central element of this strategy is the Joint Antenna Marketplace (JAM) program.
JAM is designed to create a flexible system that connects satellite operators with a pool of third-party ground antenna providers, primarily from the commercial sector. This creates what Col. Little calls a "dial for capacity," allowing the Space Force to scale its ground support up or down as needed without building new, expensive government-owned antennas.
"Get into a situation, get into combat, whatever it is, and we need to turn that dial, I now have a dial," he explained. "And so that’s really what it does for us is gives us the ability to flex."
Developing the Marketplace
In May, Space Systems Command awarded two prototype contracts to build out the JAM system:
- Boecore: Received $8.1 million.
- Sphinx Defense: Received $9.5 million.
These companies are tasked with creating parallel cloud-based platforms that will act as brokers, matching satellite operators with antenna providers that meet their technical requirements. Potential commercial providers include companies like Amazon Web Services and Kongsberg Satellite Services.
Cybersecurity and Vetting
Col. Little stressed that SSC, not the contractors, will be responsible for vetting and certifying all providers that join the marketplace. This includes ensuring they meet stringent cybersecurity standards. "We’re going to work with the security community to say, here’s how we think is the best way to approve these connections," he said.
Solving Technical and Financial Challenges
The JAM initiative also aims to address other persistent issues facing the SCN. Many of the network's legacy antennas operate on frequency bands that are being phased out in other countries, making it difficult to establish connections globally.
The program's initial focus is on transitioning government satellites from the SCN's unified S-band to commercial providers who widely use the same frequency. The next phase will be to expand access for satellites operating on military Ka-band frequencies.
A New Business Model
The Space Force is also exploring a new funding model to ensure the long-term sustainability of its ground network. The current concept involves charging all users for their satellite contacts, whether they use the core SCN or an external provider through JAM.
"We’re kind of experimenting, prototyping with a model where we... basically say, ‘okay, everybody’s gonna have to pay for their contacts,’" Col. Little noted. This approach would ensure that all users contribute to the sustainment of the network, creating a more stable and resilient system for the future.