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Space Acquisitions: DOD Needs a Departmentwide Strategy for Pursuing Low-Cost, Responsive Tactical Space Capabilities

GAO-06-449 Published: Mar 14, 2006. Publicly Released: Mar 14, 2006.
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Highlights

For more than two decades, the Department of Defense (DOD) has invested heavily in space assets to provide the warfighter with mission-critical information. Despite these investments, DOD commanders have reported shortfalls in space capabilities. To provide tactical capabilities to the warfighter sooner, DOD recently began developing TacSats--a series of small satellites intended to be built within a limited time frame and budget--and pursuing options for small, low-cost vehicles for launching small satellites. GAO was asked to (1) examine the outcomes to date of DOD's TacSat and small, low-cost launch vehicle efforts, (2) identify the challenges in pursuing these efforts, and (3) determine whether experiences with these efforts could inform DOD's major space system acquisitions.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense To help ensure that low-cost tactical capabilities continue to be developed and are delivered to the warfighter quickly, the Secretary of Defense should assign accountability for developing and implementing a departmentwide strategy for pursuing low-cost, responsive tactical capabilities--both satellite and launch--for the warfighter, and identify corresponding funding.
Closed – Implemented
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007, Report of the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, required the establishment of an Operationally Responsive Space Program Office. The Secretary of Defense was also required to submit a report to the congressional defense committees outlining a plan for acquiring operationally responsive space capabilities to support the warfighter. On April 20, 2007, DOD sent Congress the Plan for Operationally Responsive Space, which established an Operationally Responsive Space Program Office, outlined a three tiered approach for providing responsive space capabilities, and specified that the Director of the Operationally Responsive Space Program Office will control resources in the responsive space budget program element.

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Topics

Aerospace researchDefense capabilitiesDefense procurementLaboratoriesMilitary research and developmentProgram evaluationSatellitesStrategic planningU.S. Air ForceLaunch vehicles