Bringing Space Capabilities to the Warfighter: Virtual Mission Operations Center (VMOC)

The Virtual Mission Operations Center (VMOC) is a joint DoD and U.S. intergovernmental initiative to exploit Internet Protocol (IP) based systems in space or nearspace, allowing any computer linked to the Internet to conduct dynamic tasking of payloads, interact with databases, and Tracking, Telemetry, and Control (TT&C) operations. The use of IP systems enables disadvantaged field users to access and task space capabilities. At the same time, it encourages common interfaces that lead to reconfigurable and standardized vehicle design for operationally responsive space missions. As such, IP can be an enabler for constellations of tactical small satellites. In order to utilize IP and distributed tasking, one must consider issues such as security, prioritization, and contention control. This is the role of the VMOC. Each user must log on through a VMOC server that authenticates the user, validates the operations that user is authorized to perform, and verifies the prioritization level that user holds. Once these parameters are established the user makes a request. VMOC first searches its database for the requested information to prevent tasking an on-orbit asset. If the data is unavailable, the user’s request is prioritized and executed according to the prioritization. The Air Force Space Battlelab is the project manager of the VMOC demonstration team that includes Army Space and Missile Defense Command Battle Lab and NASA Glenn Research Center. The team will demonstrate the capability of VMOC via a Surrey Satellite Technologies