Implementation Challenges for Responsive Space Architectures

Current space acquisition programs are often characterized by long-development cycles, cost overruns, and changing requirements. In an effort to match the time constants associated with space system development and operations to the needs of the system’s respective users, operationally responsive space (ORS) architectures have been proposed. Fractionated spacecraft represent one potential architecture for achieving operational responsiveness. Fractionated spacecraft consist of physically independent, free-flying modules composed of various subsystems. These modules collaborate with one another on-orbit to provide a particular level of service delivery to the fractionated spacecraft’s respective users. Although ORS architectures may sacrifice performance in traditional measures of effectiveness, ORS offers large potential improvements in matching the pace of change in user requirements with the timeliness of obtaining new capability on-orbit. While the purported benefits of ORS are well-documented in the literature, and technology development programs are already underway, there are several non-technical challenges that must be addressed as well. These challenges include aligning the economic incentives of stakeholders, integrating ORS into the current acquisition process, overcoming political inertia associated with legacy approaches, and ensuring that ORS capabilities complement existing architectures. Therefore, it is imperative that ORS development efforts account for the full-spectrum of challenges. Based upon a framework of technological, organizational, economic, and political challenges, implementation strategies for ORS are developed. These strategies are explored through an analysis of fractionated spacecraft as an example of an operationally responsive system.