Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has demonstrated successful performance on the second phase of a pathfinder study for migrating the Command and Control System – Consolidated (CCS-C) ground system to the Enterprise Ground Services (EGS) architecture.
CCS-C currently operates a fleet of more than 20 Military Satellite Communications (MILSATCOM) satellites from four different spacecraft families.
In phase 2, Kratos demonstrated:
(1) Data source independent automation over the EGS message bus using Kratos’ TAO-DSI
(2) Web based support schedule creation and execution, also over the EGS message bus
(3) Elastic Telemetry and Commanding Server (TCS)
(4) Cloud deployment, and (5) automated deployment concepts.
These capabilities were demonstrated on the local Kratos Enterprise Ground Services (KEGS) lab and on a secure commercially available cloud based platform. Following the demonstration, the program office approved starting Phase 3.
Enterprise Ground Services (EGS) is an enabling technology for the U.S. Air Force’s Space Enterprise Vision (SEV). EGS enables a sustainable, resilient space architecture that can respond to threats and protect space-based assets. Two other SEV components focus on enhanced satellite communications and satellite manufacture. Kratos is actively involved in supporting the satellite ground and satellite communications enhancement initiatives.
Fully implemented, EGS will result in a common service-based ground architecture for all U.S. Air Force spacecraft that will enable Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) to fight and win a war that extends into space. AFSPC is implementing EGS with prototyping activities to mature the concepts, technologies, EGS standards, and transition paths for legacy and future ground systems.
The Kratos study for MILSATCOM is a 27 month effort that consists of four phases and is an essential step in the evolution of CCS-C to exploit the benefits of EGS. Phase I concluded last June with a successful demonstration. The final study phase will be completed in December, 2018.
Kratos products used in the study so far include EPOCH IPS Telemetry and Command Server; TAO-DSI, a platform enabling communication with external data sources; Webic, an advanced GUI; and Catapult, a schedule display and activity launch platform.
Executive Comment
Larry Lind, Vice President, Kratos Federal Solutions Group explained that the biggest driver behind the development of EGS is an increasingly ominous threat environment and the speed with which those threats occur. The transition from stovepiped ground systems to horizontally integrated architectures will optimize resources across space missions, enabling greater resiliency. Kratos’ involvement with EGS goes beyond the CCS-C/EGS interoperability study as we are actively involved in defining and redefining the standards that will make EGS a reality.