WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force is moving forward with plans to augment its aging Satellite Control Network (SCN) by leveraging commercial satellite antennas.
Shannon Pallone, program executive for battle management, command control and communications at the Space Systems Command, said the Space Force is interested in creating a “commercial antenna marketplace.”
“I’m really excited for what’s coming up in the next year for the modernization of the Satellite Control Network,” Pallone told reporters last week at the Air Space & Cyber conference.
The SCN, a global network of ground stations, communications links, and control centers, has been in operation since 1959 and is increasingly strained as the number of satellites in orbit continues to grow.
The Government Accountability Office highlighted in an April report that the Space Force faces a shortage of capacity, noting that annual SCN-supported satellite launches have tripled since 2012.
‘Request for information’Pallone said a recent request for information seeks industry ideas on implementing a marketplace approach for antenna contacts. “This is a really fantastic opportunity to leverage the commercial space strategy and to start leveraging commercial capabilities more,” she added.
The Space Force’s interest in commercial augmentation is not new. In 2016, the Air Force explored similar services for the SCN, but the program did not gain traction. However, Pallone stated that the earlier pathfinder project helped inform the current initiative.
While pursuing commercial partnerships, the Space Force is also investing in its own infrastructure with a $1.4 billion contract awarded to BlueHalo fpr electronic phased array antennas.
The SCN, which includes 19 parabolic antennas distributed globally, is crucial for supporting satellite launches, early operations, tracking and control, and providing emergency support for tumbling or lost satellites.