# Electro-Optical/Infrared Weather System (EWS)

**R-2A activity** of project 643730 — EO/IR Weather System Dev  
**Program element:** 1203710SF — EO/IR Weather System Dev  
**Component:** U.S. Space Force · **Budget Activity:** 4  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/1203710SF/643730/a0  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/1203710SF

## Summary

This activity requests $69.0M in FY2027, 48% of project 643730, down 1.1% on FY2026. The R-2A exhibit describes it across FY2026–FY2027, including what the FY2027 money is planned to buy.

## What the FY2027 request buys

**FY2027 planned work.** Conduct Operational Demonstration #1 pre-ship review ahead of shipment of completed space vehicle to payload processing facility for launch base processing. Support launch and on-orbit checkout of General Atomics Ops Demo #1, characterizing its performance to provide ops-quality data, meet Department of War (DoW) Environmental Monitoring (EM) Electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) requirements for Cloud Characterization and Theater Weather Imagery, while informing overall EM Mission Area Acquisition Framework (MAAF) strategy for fielding full EO/IR operational systems. Initiate Operational Demonstration #2 space vehicle build. Conduct delta design activities and begin build, integration and test. Fund small launch vehicle through RSLP OSP-4 contract to support Ops Demo #2 launch in FY28, and provide support for Ops Demo #2 space vehicle to launch vehicle integration study. Rapidly respond to implement system resiliency and situational awareness necessary to operate in the contested space domain. Activities may include, but are not limited to program office support, studies, technical analysis, experimentation, risk reduction, prototyping, and activities that may leverage commercial, U.S. Government partnership, and international opportunities to respond to existing and emerging adversarial threats with speed and agility. In FY 2027, MUON, Space-Based Environmental Monitoring transfers to the newly established 'EM Data as a Service' major thrust.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** FY 2027 net increase of $0.798M includes funding to enable the Operational Demonstration #2 space vehicle build and the outgoing transfer of Muon SBEM to the 'EM Data as a Service' major thrust.

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** Conduct Operational Demonstration #1 pre-ship review ahead of shipment of completed space vehicle to payload processing facility for launch processing. Support launch and on-orbit checkout of General Atomics Ops Demo #1, characterizing its performance to provide ops-quality data, meet space-based Environmental Monitoring (SBEM) Electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) requirements for Cloud Characterization and Theater Weather Imagery, while informing SBEM acquisition strategy for fielding full operational systems. Fund small launch vehicle through RSLP OSP-4 contract to support Ops Demo #2 launch, currently slated for FY28, and provide support for Ops Demo #2 space vehicle to launch vehicle integration study. Continue to invest for the development of commercial capabilities to address full SBEM Gap requirements and Phase III activities. Develop options for remote ground station to support future Geostationary (GEO) for persistent EO/IR coverage of Indian Ocean region. Rapidly respond to implement system resiliency and situational awareness necessary to operate in the contested space domain. Activities may include, but are not limited to program office support, studies, technical analysis, experimentation, risk reduction, prototyping, and activities that may leverage commercial, U.S. Government partnership, and international opportunities to respond to existing and emerging adversarial threats with speed and agility.

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 67.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 69.8 |
| FY2027 | Request | 69.0 |

> Prior, current and budget year only — an R-2A activity carries no five-year plan. It sums exactly into its project in the request year and not necessarily in any other.

## Other activities in project 643730

- [Commercial GEO EO/IR](https://hitchintel.com/programs/1203710SF/643730/a2) — FY2027 37.9
- [EM Data as a Service](https://hitchintel.com/programs/1203710SF/643730/a1) — FY2027 37.5

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 1203710SF project 643730 (PB PB2027). Narrative is the government's own text.
- **No marks, no contractors at this grain** — congressional marks land on the program element and R-3 performers on the project.
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_activity`.

*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Budget figures are requests/estimates, not obligations.*