Early Missile Warning¶
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Early Missile Warning
The Defense Support Program (DSP) continued to be the linchpin of our strategic early warning system for ballistic missiles launches. It had become so good and so reliable that it had completely replace some of the older radar sites built during the 1950s and 60s for early warning. Eight DSP satellites composed of three different upgrades were launched in the 1970s. In the 1980s, five satellites were orbited of the Multi-Orbit Satellites/Product Improvement Modification (MOS/PIM), Phase II Upgrade and DSP-1 class satellites. The Phase II Upgrade class increased the number of infrared detectors from 2000 to 6000 detectors, increasing its capability considerably. The first DSP-1 satellite (Flight 14) became the first payload for the new class of heavy weight booster, the Titan IV.
During the 1970s, four of the Block I satellites were launched, primarily to test the concept of space based global positioning, and testing out ground equipment. By the beginning of the 1980s, the Air Force began launching the full constellation of 24 planned satellites. Eleven more Block I GPS spacecraft were orbited, and then five newer Block II ones by 1989. But this was still short of the planned full number of 24. The whole constellation should have been in place by the end of the 80s, but budget cuts and emphasis on aircraft kept cutting into space funding. This was to have some consequences during the first use of the GPS system during war.
Space Command
Between 1958 and 1982, military activities grew in both scope and importance. The military is always looking for what it calls “force multiplier,” those activities that will enhance the capability of our soldiers, and space became one of those leading edge force multipliers that would eventually change the face of warfare. Essentially, space systems are combat support systems. However, because no separate operating structure existed within any of the military services, space activities remained primarily under the control of the Air Force’s acquisition arm, Air Force Systems Command. After a long period of study, the corporate Air Force established Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) on September 1, 1982 at Peterson Air Force Base, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It took immediate operational control of two space systems, the early warning satellite DSP, and the weather satellite, DMSP. In 1983, it took command of all ground based radar systems, and In 1984, it assumed operational control of the existing GPS network constellation. The fourth space mission, communications, remained the responsibility of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA). In 1987, AFSPC took full control of Sunnyvale Air Force Station, which at that point was the primary command and control center for Air Force space systems. In 1990, all satellite launch operations were transferred from Air Force Systems Command to Air Force Space Command. Finally, in 1993 it took operational possession of the Consolidated Space Operations Center (CSOC), at Falcon Air Force Base, Colorado which assumed primary command of most military space systems while Sunnyvale took on a backup role. This new command had grown up considerably and quite quickly in less than eight years.
Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)
In 1983, President Reagan unveiled his Strategic Defense Initiative, a system of earth-based and space-based warning and weapon systems that would protect the United States from ballistic missile attack. Long range planner for SDIO also included such exotic weapon systems as lasers and directed-energy weapons. In 1987, three prime systems were selected for development. These were the Boost Surveillance and Tracking System (BSTS) which was to track enemy warheads early in their flights. Next was the Space Surveillance and Tracking System (SSTS) which was to track the warheads in the mid-course of their ballistic trajectories. Finally, there was the Space-Based Interceptor (SBI), which consisted of hundred of earth-orbiting satellites that would destroy enemy missiles by impact. These three systems were to form the initial phase of SDI deployment. At first all of these programs were managed by the Strategic Defense Initiative Office (SDIO), which later became the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization in the 1990s. Eventually BSTS and BSI were given over to Space Systems Division at Los Angeles Air Force Base to acquire and manage, while SSTS remained under SDIO control. By the end of the decade, the wisdom of SDI was being questioned by Congress and the overall effort was cut back.