Low SWaP-C Tactical Awareness Payload for Proliferated, Agile Satellites (TAPPAS) for Space Domain Awareness

Description

The objective of this Direct to Phase II (D2P2) effort is to provide a production representative article of flight qualifiable hardware to be flown in the GEO space environment. The modern space domain requires a layered sensing architecture to ensure resilience. This D2P2 effort is focused on a critical element of that architecture: a compact, efficient payload that provides persistent, 4 pi steradian awareness of the local space environment for its host vehicle. Occlusion zones are probable and should be minimized based on the satellite design and sensor placement. Multiple phenomenologies are of interest, to include but not limited to, electro-optical, infrared, and radio frequency. To be suitable for integration across a wide range of buses, solutions must be aggressively optimized for low Size, Weight, and Power with affordability in mind. While any available tested technology will be considered, the ideal payload would not exceed 50W of power consumption and 15 Kg of mass. These characteristics are critical for enabling integration onto platforms with stringent resource limitations. The desired capability must establish a "self-awareness bubble" with a range of 200 km (threshold) to 500 km (objective) radius, with the ability to detect a 0.5 (threshold) to 0.2 (objective) meter object with a probability of detection of 0.8 and probability of false alarm of 0.01. The sensor data must feed into advanced on-board analytics to autonomously track nearby objects, to support assessment of intent, distinguishing between debris, unanticipated neutral or friendly objects, and potential threats to enable both autonomous tactical response and intuitive operator visualization. The government’s primary focus is on the speed of delivery for proven technology now. Key challenges to be addressed include: - Autonomous Threat Detection in a Low SWaP-C Package: proactively gathering, processing, and analyzing data to characterize threats using a highly efficient, lightweight payload. - Scalable, Mature, and Manufacturable Solutions: solutions must emphasize high Technology Readiness Level (TRL), Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL), and scalability for hardware and software. - Efficient Hardware Integration: use common interfaces for power, data, and thermal to ease integration onto platforms. Minimize footprint and be flexible with mounting options. - Efficient Data Integration: Optimizing the payload to provide decision-quality information efficiently, with an architecture that allows for integration with enterprise data systems.