The U.S. Space Force is examining whether to move ahead on a possible program for Commercial and Military Satellite Communications Operations Support (COSMOS) for Space Operations Command and Schriever Space Force Base, Colo.’s Space Delta 8, which focuses on satellite communications.
COSMOS would follow the Wideband Satellite Communications Operations and Technical Support II (WSOTS II) program.
More than a year before the creation of the Space Force in December 2019, the U.S. Army awarded Harris–now part of L3Harris Technologies [LHX]–a nearly $218 million contract for WSOTS II (Defense Daily, Nov. 28, 2018). That contract is to end on Jan. 31, 2027.
COSMOS requirements may change over time.
“Based on mission needs, the government anticipates upward and downward adjustments of its requirements throughout the lifetime of the contract,” according to a Space Force business notice on Wednesday. “Examples include: Product Manager Wideband Enterprise Satellite Systems (PdM WESS) currently manages the acquisition, fielding and lifecycle sustainment of strategic satellite communication and satellite control systems for the Department of Defense users (including the Wideband SATCOM Operational Management System (WSOMS). PdM WESS is currently under the United States Army. However, the program office is anticipated to be moving to Space Systems Command [SSC] in the near future.”
In addition, Space Force launch of Boeing‘s [BA] Wideband Global SATCOM satellite 11 (WGS-11) is expected this year. “WGS 11 will have more communications flexibility than the entire existing WGS constellation and will provide combatant commanders with twice the mission capability in contested environments,” Wednesday’s business notice said.
In March last year, Boeing said that SSC had awarded the company a nearly $440 million contract to build the 12th WGS satellite (Defense Daily, March 6, 2024). WGS-12 is to deter adversary jamming through the Protected Tactical Waveform with antenna nulling in the Ka-band. Military forces are to connect over WGS-12 through the Protected Tactical Enterprise Service ground system.
Both WGS-11 and -12 are to have nearly 100 times the number of beams as the most recent WGS, WGS-10, which has 18 beams–eight in the X-band and 10 in the Ka band.
Another factor that may change COSMOS requirements is the mission delta reorganization of Space Operations Command. “SpOC’s organizational Structure continues to evolve,” the business notice said. “The Mission Delta construct was created to increase unity of command for readiness and
unity of effort for capability development. Current functional alignment of deltas will change.”