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 it's 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] 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 2024 about rapidly evolving geopolitical threats from American adversaries targeting critical GPS infrastructure, in the form of "navigation warfare asymmetry." [13] 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. [14] In 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. [15] [16]

NSSA leadership

Board of Advisors

As of March, 2024 the NSSAs Board of Advisors included: [17]

Board of Directors

As of March, 2024 the NSSAs board of directors included: [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tomahawk (missile family)</span> Long-range, subsonic cruise missile

The BGM-109 TomahawkLand Attack Missile (TLAM) is an American long-range, all-weather, jet-powered, subsonic cruise missile that is primarily used by the United States Navy and Royal Navy in ship and submarine-based land-attack operations.

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

The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal Corps, the USAF was established as a separate branch of the United States Armed Forces in 1947 with the enactment of the National Security Act of 1947. It is the second youngest branch of the United States Armed Forces and the fourth in order of precedence. The United States Air Force articulates its core missions as air supremacy, global integrated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, rapid global mobility, global strike, and command and control.

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">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">National Security Space Launch</span> Expendable launch system program of the United States Space Force

National Security Space Launch (NSSL) is a program of the United States Space Force (USSF) intended to assure access to space for United States Department of Defense and other United States government payloads. The program is managed by the Assured Access to Space Directorate (SSC/AA) of the Space Force's Space Systems Command (SSC), in partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronald Fogleman</span> Retired US Air Force general

Ronald Robert Fogleman is a retired United States Air Force general who served as the 15th Chief of Staff of the Air Force from 1994 to 1997 and as Commanding General of the United States Transportation Command from 1992 to 1994.

The Aerospace Corporation is an American nonprofit corporation that operates a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) in El Segundo, California. The corporation provides technical guidance and advice on all aspects of space missions to military, civil, and commercial customers. As the FFRDC for national-security space, Aerospace works closely with organizations such as the United States Space Force (USSF) and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) to provide "objective technical analyses and assessments for space programs that serve the national interest". Although the USSF and NRO are the primary customers, Aerospace also performs work for civil agencies such as NASA and NOAA as well as international organizations and governments in the national interest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Launch Alliance</span> Joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing

United Launch Alliance, LLC (ULA) is an American launch service provider formed in December 2006 as a joint venture between Lockheed Martin Space and Boeing Defense, Space & Security. The company designs, assembles, sells and launches rockets, but the company subcontracts out the production of rocket engines and solid rocket boosters.

<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">Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules</span> Military transport aircraft

The Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules is a 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>

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">Paul Nakasone</span> United States Army general (retired)

Paul Miki Nakasone is a retired four-star general in the United States Army who served as the commander of United States Cyber Command. He concurrently served as the director of the National Security Agency and as chief of the Central Security Service. Nakasone took command of the United States Second Army and Army Cyber Command in October 2016, until the Second Army's inactivation in March 2017. In May 2018, he became head of the National Security Agency, the Central Security Service and the United States Cyber Command.

<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 United States Armed Forces' space service 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">All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office</span> Task force of the US Department of Defense

The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) is an office within the United States Office of the Secretary of Defense that investigates unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and other phenomena in the air, sea, and/or space and/or on land: sometimes referred to as "unidentified aerial phenomena" or "unidentified anomalous phenomena" (UAP). Its first director was physicist Sean Kirkpatrick, and its current director is Jon T. Kosloski who reports to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean M. Kirkpatrick</span> Physicist and intelligence officer

Sean Michael Kirkpatrick is an American laser and materials physicist who served as the first director of the United States Department of Defense's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO). Kirkpatrick is also an adjunct assistant professor of physics at the University of Georgia.

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. ↑ "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.
  14. ↑ 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.
  15. ↑ 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.
  16. ↑ 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.
  17. ↑ "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.
  18. ↑ "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.