Strategic Forecasting Toward Achieving Defensible Space Architecture by Year 2030

Along with the increased demand for space access transportation, a rise in adversarial offensive capabilities, and increasing reliance upon space-based assets, U.S. space assets are now more vulnerable to ground- and space-based threats than ever. The U.S. Air Force in its Fiscal Year Posture Statement 2018 recognized that meeting the space threat remains a U.S. Air Force priority for national security. This, along with the creation of a new Space Force, provides more interest in space defense and detailed space architecture development. This needs to be approached pragmatically and strategically. For this, there is a need for a cohesive plan that will support the continued integration and normalization of space in the joint war-fighting environment and places a high priority on space to ensure that U.S. space systems continue to operate in a contested environment. The goal of this study is to identify the national security transportation capabilities and supporting assets needed to establish a superior force in space by the year of 2030 and beyond. Additionally, the science and technology areas that are needed to develop these capabilities are identified, and a strategic space transportation roadmap is generated.