Tactical Lab Trains Warfighters in Space Hardware and Software Control Tasks

Thursday, October 01 2009

A Training and Tactical ORS Operations (TATOO) Laboratory is being developed by Star Technologies Corp. under the direction of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Human Effectiveness Division. Hardware and software is being created to give voice to the warfighter’s interaction with Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) satellites. The goal of the TATOO lab is to provide an environment for the development of procedures and protocol for tasking tactical satellites, as well as an environment for training the warfighter.

ORS systems aim to provide operational space capabilities, flexibility, and responsiveness to the war theater that do not exist today. ORS communication, navigation, and ISR (Intelligence, Sur veil lance, and Recon nais - sance) satellites are designed to replace or supplement existing systems in order to enhance the current space force. They intend to rapidly meet near-term space needs of the tactical forces. The ORS concept includes new tactical satellites specifically designed to support contingency operations such as increased communication bandwidth and ISR imagery over the theater for a limited period to support air, ground, and naval force missions. The full potential of ORS is to support intheater tactical forces to develop satellite tasking, data retrieval, and interface capabilities for mission operations from a warfighter-centered perspective, and to develop realistic training and simulation that allows development, demonstration, and assessment of ORS tactical CONOPS (Concept of Operations).

The TATOO Lab is a computer-based simulation environment being built at Star Technologies’ Great Falls, VA facility. Training is usually an afterthought, and the TATOO Lab attempts to put focus on the warfighter, the warfighter’s needs, and the training materials for the warfighter before ORS becomes a reality.

The TATOO Lab will allow users to exercise training scenarios to demonstrate how ORS satellites can quickly assist in mission needs. Users of the lab will use software to task space assets and to monitor satellite health and status. Delays that emulate communication transmissions will be modeled to illustrate bottlenecks. The effect of changes in the ORS CONOPS can be demonstrated in the lab, and operational enhancements that are discovered in the lab can, in turn, be used to refine and redefine the ORS CONOPS.

The TATOO Lab includes the software necessary to emulate aspects of proposed ORS operations, from the warfighter applications to satellites. The lab is designed to train both the warfighter and spacecraft operator, fostering an environment where a standard operational approach can be developed to benefit both the warfighter and operator.