What project 645601 buys
The Space Defense Capabilities project prototypes technologies for insertion into programs of record and provides platforms to operate prototypes in space. The Rapid On-Orbit Space Technology Evaluation Ring (ROOSTER) provides a low-cost, rapid, and flexible on-orbit capability to host and deploy numerous prototypes and payloads in order to mature critical technologies and enable investment or divestment decisions. Each ROOSTER on-orbit platform is designed to fly multiple payloads per mission, thus fully utilizing launch potential and providing the only recurring rideshare option for prototypes, demonstrations, and experiments to geosynchronous orbit. The objectives of the ROOSTER program are to enable rapid and cost-effective technology insertion into operational programs of record through the on-orbit checkout and testing of prototypes, demonstrations, and experimental payloads. Additionally, ROOSTER will work to mature operational concepts and tactics, techniques, and procedures, such as on-obit refueling, for use within the United States Space Force space enterprise architecture. Tetra provides a pathfinder to define future system architectures and operational concepts for several Space Domain Awareness (SDA) and Space Control programs and other mission partners, as well as prove prototype and experiment technologies for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and other Department of War labs. It serves as an additional platform to host prototype and experiment payloads that need to operate in concert with ROOSTERs. As a secondary mission, it provides a training platform for operators to develop and demonstrate tactics, techniques, and procedures for the evolution of operations and training in alignment with objectives from organizations such as the National Space Test and Training Complex and United States Space Force Space Training and Readiness Command. Quasi-Zenith Satellite System-Hosted Payload has dual goals of enhancing the US-Japan alliance and proving the feasibility and capability of a SDA sensor payload able to be proliferated and hosted on US and non-US satellites. In addition to prototyping such a capability, it will serve as a dedicated sensor in the Space Surveillance Network, enhancing SDA in Geostationary Earth Orbit over the Eurasian theater.
- Product Development
- Support
- Test and Evaluation
Project 645601 funding, FY2025–FY2031
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure. Projects carry the full five-year plan; the activities inside them stop at the budget year.
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 112.1 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 104.9 |
| FY2027 | Request | 87.7 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 68.7 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 70.3 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 71.7 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 73.3 |
3 accomplishments / planned programs
The R-2A exhibit — the only level of the budget that describes work that has not happened yet. Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only, no five-year plan. Each describe FY2027 work in enough detail to have their own page; the rest are shown here in full. Coverage is partial across the corpus, so count activities, never total them.
- ROOSTER: Support shipment and launch integration efforts for the ROOSTER-4 space vehicle, pending updated launch plans. For ROOSTER-5, complete platform development and factory testing of the ROOSTER-5 space vehicle and begin integrated test campaign. Prepare for shipment and launch integration efforts. Obtain security and policy…
Read the FY2027 plan →- ROOSTER: For ROOSTER-4, finish payload integration; support launch integration and launch, pending updated launch plans. Begin the execution of the 12-month on-orbit prototype testing and demonstration phase. Conduct on-orbit tests and demonstrations to enable technology maturation. For ROOSTER-5, continue integrating manifested…
Read the FY2027 plan →Complete development of the optical space terminals, conduct functional and performance testing of the terminals on the government testbed at MIT/LL, conduct environmental testing on the terminals, and continue development of the Space Data Network C2 System.
Read the FY2027 plan →Named performers on project 645601
Performers named in the R-3 exhibit under this project. Share is of the project's whole FY2027 R-3 total — the same denominator the program-element split uses, so the two read on one scale and will not sum to 100% when unnamed or government work is in the mix. Budget-justification contract funding, not obligations.