NATO STO

As NATO and national-level defense systems and military operations become more dependent upon comprehensive awareness of all relevant facets of the mission and battle space, the concept of common operating pictures has evolved to encompass not only tactically-relevant awareness, but also the larger prevailing strategic-level context as well. Thus, the traditional narrowly-defined tactical concept of Space Situational Awareness is evolving to become more inclusive of all facets of the space domain relevant to military and security missions. The term space domain awareness (SDA), (analogous to maritime domain awareness, cyber domain awareness, and air domain awareness, etc.) captures the required broader operational context relevant to conducting effective space operations and preserving space capabilities from loss or degradation. Comprehensive operational awareness of the space domain is essential to the achievement of the NATO Long Term Aspect requirement for NATO Space Capability Preservation (as identified by the SCI-238 Specialists Meeting, March 2013). To ensure that NATO forces, space planners and operators can maximize their deployment and protection of the space capabilities brought to the Alliance through its member nations, it can be envisioned that a shared, common operating picture of the space domain will be essential (within the limits of those members to share and contribute SDA data and products). Due to the multi-dimensional technical scope of the involved data and product streams, along with associated variations in data protocols, sensor attributes and other technical variables, it will be necessary to evolve a common integrated environment within the NATO space planning and operations domains to ensure the timely exploitation of those data and products. Although there are no limits on what constitutes SDA data, it is commonly understood to address, at a minimum, space weather and environmental reporting, space object tracking and orbit characterization, space object collision and avoidance warning, and radio frequency interference characterizations and attribution against satellite control links and communication services. The SCI-279 Task Group on the “Requirements for a NATO Common Space Domain Awareness Operating Picture” has completed their report on the essential considerations within the Alliance that will be necessary to achieve that vision. One recommendation resulting from that Task Group was to begin the process of experimenting with the fusion and data analytic tools using real world SDA data on the space environment, space object orbital parameters and radio frequency interference of satellite communications. It is necessary that real world data is shared for the purpose of developing collaborative, joint, and common SDA picture capabilities, using the applicable Alliance standards, such as NATO Standardization Agreements (STANAGs). In March 2016, an Exploratory Team (ET-036) was formed to assess: (1) the realistic opportunities for national- level space domain data to be shared within the NATO community, (2) the specific areas and nature of space domain awareness data for which realistic field trials or experimentation could usefully be conducted and at minimum “costs” for the participants involved, and (3) the specific technical objectives and anticipated value-added contributions to the Alliance that could potentially result. Deliverables of the ET-036 study effort include this TAP and associated TOR for the planning and execution of collaborative SDA data collection and fusion experimentation.