National Security Space Association

Last updated
United States Space Force and Space Systems Command details of their joint reverse engineering event with the National Security Space Association in 2023. Space Force, Space Systems Command, International Reverse Industry Days 2023.png
United States Space Force and Space Systems Command details of their joint reverse engineering event with the National Security Space Association in 2023.

The National Security Space Association (NSSA) is a 501(c)(3) organization ( EIN  833210801) based in Arlington, Virginia in the United States of America. [1] It describes its mission as guiding communication, strategy, and education of "national security space advancement" and related topics, such as educating and lobbying the United States Congress on matters related to national security and space domain awareness. [2] The NSSA was formed in August 2019. [3] The NSSA specifies on their website that their focus is on military and intelligence support related to Title 10 and Title 50 areas of United States law. [1]

Contents

U.S. Space Command deputy commander Lt. Gen. John Shaw recently delivered a keynote address at the National Security Space Association's 2023 Defense and Industry Space Conference on Jan. 24, 2023. U.S. Space Command deputy commander Lt. Gen. John Shaw National Security Space Association.jpg
U.S. Space Command deputy commander Lt. Gen. John Shaw recently delivered a keynote address at the National Security Space Association's 2023 Defense and Industry Space Conference on Jan. 24, 2023.

The NSSA works with the military–industrial complex and Department of Defense of the United States and its allies. [4] [5] Through 2024, the NSSA has relationships with the United States Space Force and Space Systems Command, the United States Air Force, NASA, and military contractors including Lockheed Martin and the Aerospace Corporation. [4] [5]

United States government interactions and events

The NSSA, though legally a civilian non-profit, hosts and organizes in association with the United States Military events to discuss top secret sensitive compartmented information with groups such as the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) based out of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, at locations such as secure Lockheed Martin facilities in Herndon, Virginia. [6]

In 2020, the NSSA called on the United States government to reform "space security policy, practices and governance structures." [7] The NSSA specifically cited that present rules around classification prevented military and intelligence agencies from reliably sharing information about threats to Earth from space or to defend satellites. [7] The NSSA said of current rules, that they "...are creating unnecessary challenges to the efficient and effective conduct of the national security space program." [7] The NSSA added, "As a result, the U.S. government is denying itself access to new ideas, technology, capabilities and applications." [7] In the same year, the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation endorsed the NSSAs governmental policy whitepaper, "Establish Governance and Align Security Policies and Programs to Enable U.S. National Security Space Missions." [8] [9]

At the 2021 Government & Defense Conference held annually by investment firm Baird, KBR's Byron Bright, along with Joe Dodd of LinQuest, Kay Sears of Lockheed Martin, HawkEye 360 CEO John Serafini and Loverro Consulting's Douglas Loverro provided updates on the state of the space industry at a panel discussion about the National Security Space Association. [10] Partnered with the United States Space Force and Space Systems Command, the NSSA held its inaugural International Security Space Forum on October 24 with the Aerospace Corporation. [11]

In 2023, the NSSA with the United States Space Force and Space Systems Command organized a conference on reverse engineering for militaries and industries of the Five Eyes (FVEY) nations, consis|ting of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and also France, Germany, and Japan at the event, which was held at the Aerospace Corporation in Chantilly, Virginia. [5] On November 9, 2023, the NSSA briefed the National Space Council of the Executive Office of the President of the United States on space traffic management, civil space protections, and remote sensing. [4]

On March 12, 2024, the NSSA held a declassified hearing with Sean M. Kirkpatrick, former director of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) to discuss the 2024 AARO report on unidentified anomalous phenomenon and unidentified flying objects. [12] In May 2024, attention was drawn to an advisory letter from the NSSA citing deficiencies in the US Space Force budget proposed by the administration of United States President Joe Biden, and concerns the USA may cede leadership in space-related affairs to China due to a reduction in Space Forces budget. [13] [14] The Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation, a public benefit scientific and educational charity focused on Global Positioning System (GPS) related issues, highlighted and called attention to NSSA research in July 2024 about rapidly evolving geopolitical threats from American adversaries targeting critical GPS infrastructure, in the form of "navigation warfare asymmetry." [15] In July 2024, Colonel Robert Davis of the United States Space Systems Command (SSC) and Space Development Agency (SDA), and head of the SSC's Space Sensing Directorate, discussed with the NSSA issues related to radiation hardening of satellite constellations used for missile warning systems. [16] A series of research publications by NSSA in October 2024 were released, detailing perceived budget shortfalls in the United States Space Force. [17] In the releases, NSSA called for an almost doubling of Space Force's budget, based on concerns of the US falling further behind both Russia and China in terms of space-based activities in orbit, cislunar activities, and related support and logistical operations. [17] The United States National Space Intelligence Center held a classified briefing in December 2024 hosted by the NSSA at Lockheed Martin in Virginia, related to orbital counterspace engagements for high-value US government satellite systems. [18]

NSSA leadership

Board of Advisors

As of March, 2024 the NSSAs Board of Advisors included: [19]

Board of Directors

As of March, 2024 the NSSAs board of directors included: [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DARPA</span> Technology research and development agency of the U.S. Department of Defense

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is a research and development agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of emerging technologies for use by the military. Originally known as the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), the agency was created on February 7, 1958, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in response to the Soviet launching of Sputnik 1 in 1957. By collaborating with academia, industry, and government partners, DARPA formulates and executes research and development projects to expand the frontiers of technology and science, often beyond immediate U.S. military requirements. The name of the organization first changed from its founding name, ARPA, to DARPA, in March 1972, changing back to ARPA in February 1993, then reverted to DARPA in March 1996.

The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consist of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. All six armed services are among the eight uniformed services of the United States, along with the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps.

The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American defense and aerospace manufacturer with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in North Bethesda, Maryland. As of January 2022, Lockheed Martin employs approximately 115,000 employees worldwide, including about 60,000 engineers and scientists. Reports from 2024 estimate that Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) holds a market cap of around $139.7 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lew Allen</span> US Air Force general (1925–2010)

Lew Allen Jr. was a United States Air Force four-star general who served as the tenth Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. As chief of staff, Allen served as the senior uniformed Air Force officer responsible for the organization, training, and equipping of 750,000 active duty Air Force, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve, and civilian personnel serving in the United States and overseas. As a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he and the other service chiefs function(ed) as the military advisers to the Secretary of Defense, the National Security Council, and the president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DEFCON</span> Alert posture used by the United States Armed Forces

The defense readiness condition (DEFCON) is an alert state used by the United States Armed Forces. For security reasons, the US military does not announce a DEFCON level to the public.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Reconnaissance Office</span> US intelligence agency in charge of satellite intelligence

The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) is a member of the United States Intelligence Community and an agency of the United States Department of Defense which designs, builds, launches, and operates the reconnaissance satellites of the U.S. federal government. It provides satellite intelligence to several government agencies, particularly signals intelligence (SIGINT) to the National Security Agency (NSA), imagery intelligence (IMINT) to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), and measurement and signature intelligence (MASINT) to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). The NRO announced in 2023 that it plans within the following decade to quadruple the number of satellites it operates and increase the number of signals and images it delivers by a factor of ten.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Intelligence Community</span> Collective term for US federal intelligence and security agencies

The United States Intelligence Community (IC) is a group of separate U.S. federal government intelligence agencies and subordinate organizations that work both separately and collectively to conduct intelligence activities which support the foreign policy and national security interests of the United States. Member organizations of the IC include intelligence agencies, military intelligence, and civilian intelligence and analysis offices within federal executive departments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed HC-130</span> Search and rescue aircraft version of the C-130 Hercules

The Lockheed HC-130 is an extended-range, search and rescue (SAR)/combat search and rescue (CSAR) version of the C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft, with two different versions operated by two separate services in the U.S. armed forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cobra Dane</span> US radar installation for monitoring Soviet missile tests

The AN/FPS-108 COBRA DANE is a PESA phased array radar installation operated by Raytheon for the United States Space Force at Eareckson Air Station on the island of Shemya, Aleutian Islands, Alaska. The system was built in 1976 and brought online in 1977 for the primary mission of gathering intelligence about Russia's ICBM program in support of verification of the SALT II arms limitation treaty. Its single face 29 m (95 ft) diameter phased array radar antenna 52.7373°N 174.0914°E faces the Kamchatka Peninsula and Russia's Kura Test Range. COBRA DANE operates in the 1215–1400 MHz band and can track items as small as a basketball sized drone at distances of several hundred miles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis C. Blair</span> US Navy admiral and 3rd Director of National Intelligence

Dennis Cutler Blair is the former United States Director of National Intelligence and a retired United States Navy admiral who was the commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific region. Blair was a career officer in the U.S. Navy and served in the White House during the presidencies of both Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. Blair retired from the Navy in 2002 as an Admiral. In 2009, Blair was selected as President Barack Obama’s first Director of National Intelligence, but after a series of bureaucratic battles, he resigned on May 20, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Department of Defense</span> Executive department of the US federal government

The United States Department of Defense is an executive branch department of the federal government of the United States charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the U.S. government directly related to national security and the United States Armed Forces. As of November 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense is the second largest employer in the world after India, with over 1.4 million active-duty service personnel, including soldiers, marines, sailors, airmen, and guardians. The Department of Defense also maintains over 778,000 National Guard and reservists, and over 747,000 civilians, bringing the total to over 2.91 million employees. Headquartered at the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C., the Department of Defense's stated mission is "to provide the military forces needed to deter war and ensure our nation's security".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Army Intelligence and Security Command</span> U.S. Army direct reporting unit

The United States Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) is a direct reporting unit that conducts intelligence, security, and information operations for United States Army commanders, partners in the Intelligence Community, and national decision-makers. INSCOM is headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules</span> Military transport aircraft

The Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. The C-130J is a comprehensive update of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, with new engines, flight deck, and other systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeffrey K. Harris</span> American aerospace executive

Jeffrey King Harris is an American aerospace executive who served as 11th director of the National Reconnaissance Office from 1994 to 1996. Currently, he is the chairman of the RIT Board of Trustees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Space Force</span> Space service branch of the U.S. military

The United States Space Force (USSF) is the space force branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is one of two independent space forces in the world.

GPS Block IIIF, or GPS III Follow On (GPS IIIF), is the second set of GPS Block III satellites, consisting of up to 22 space vehicles. The United States Air Force began the GPS Block IIIF acquisition effort in 2016. On 14 September 2018, a manufacturing contract with options worth up to $7.2 billion was awarded to Lockheed Martin. The 22 satellites in Block IIIF are projected to start launching in 2027, with launches estimated to last through at least 2037.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sentient (intelligence analysis system)</span> Space/satellite based AI intelligence analysis system developed by the U.S. government.

Sentient is a heavily classified artificial intelligence satellite intelligence analysis system of the United States Intelligence Community, operated by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and developed by their Advanced Systems and Technology Directorate (AS&T), with the United States Air Forces Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the Department of Energy's National Laboratories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sami D. Said</span> Lieutenant general in the United States Air Force

Sami Dia Said is a retired lieutenant general in the United States Air Force, who last served as the Inspector General of the Air Force. In this capacity, he reports to the Secretary of the Air Force, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and Chief of Space Operations on matters concerning Department of the Air Force readiness, efficiency and the military discipline of active duty, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard forces. He also provides inspection policy and oversees the inspection and evaluation system for all Department of the Air Force nuclear and conventional forces; oversees Department of the Air Force counterintelligence operations; investigates fraud, waste and abuse; oversees criminal investigations; and provides oversight of complaints resolution programs. Said is responsible for three field operating agencies: the Air Force Inspection Agency, the Office of Special Investigations, and the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center.

References

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Government .

  1. 1 2 "National Security Space Association". National Security Space Association. 2024-03-14. Archived from the original on 2023-12-21. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  2. ↑ "National Security Space Association: Our Mission". National Security Space Association. 2024-03-14. Archived from the original on 2023-08-24. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  3. ↑ Erwin, Sandra (2019-03-27). "National Security Space Association is open for business". SpaceNews . Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  4. 1 2 3 "National Space Council Users' Advisory Group, December 1, 2023, Public Meeting" (PDF). National Space Council and NASA, page 52. 2023-12-01. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-03-14. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  5. 1 2 3 "Space Force, Space Systems Command, International Reverse Industry Days 2023". United States Space Force and Space Systems Command . 2023-12-01. Archived from the original on 2024-03-14. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  6. ↑ "NSIC Space Threats Circuit Briefing Dec 2023". National Security Space Association. 2024-03-14. Archived from the original on 2024-03-14. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Erwin, Sandra (2019-03-27). "Space industry group pushing for change in security clearance policies". SpaceNews . Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  8. ↑ "USGIF Endorses White Paper from the NSSA". United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation . 2020-10-29. Archived from the original on 2022-10-07. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
  9. ↑ "Establish Governance and Align Security Policies and Programs to Enable U.S. National Security Space Missions" (PDF). National Security Space Association. 2020-10-29. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-09-28. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
  10. ↑ Myatt, Summer (2021-11-18). "KBR's Byron Bright Provides National Security Space Association Insight During Panel at Baird Government & Defense Conference". ExecutiveBiz. Archived from the original on 2024-07-26. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  11. ↑ Patton, Tom (2023-11-07). "First International Security Space Week Held in Virginia". The Journal of Space Commerce. Archived from the original on 2024-05-23. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  12. ↑ "SpaceTime Series with Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick March, 2024". National Security Space Association. 2024-03-14. Archived from the original on 2024-03-15. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  13. ↑ Feldscher, Jacqueline (2024-03-14). "NSSA: Space Force Budget 'Insufficient' And 'Shortsighted'". Payload Space. Archived from the original on 2024-05-25. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  14. ↑ Tierney, Mike; Williams, Chris (2024-05-25). "Comments On The Presidents Budget Request For Fiscal Year 2025" (PDF). Payload Space. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-05-25. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  15. ↑ "America at risk from China, lack of GPS alternatives – National Security Space Association". Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation. 2024-07-19. Archived from the original on 2024-07-26. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  16. ↑ Hitchens, Theresa (2024-07-25). "Space Force analyzing next-gen missile warning/tracking, NC3 options". Breaking Defense. Archived from the original on 2024-07-25. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  17. 1 2 Gorman, Douglas (2024-10-30). "National Security Space Association's Plan For the Next President". Payload Space. Archived from the original on 2024-11-07. Retrieved 2025-01-05.
  18. ↑ "NSIC Space Threats Circuit Briefing December 2024". National Security Space Association. 2024-12-13. Archived from the original on 2025-01-08. Retrieved 2025-01-01.
  19. ↑ "National Security Space Association, Board of Advisors". National Security Space Association. 2024-03-14. Archived from the original on 2024-03-14. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  20. ↑ "National Security Space Association, Board of Directors". National Security Space Association. 2024-03-14. Archived from the original on 2024-03-14. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.