Lawmakers seek another big increase for DoD ‘responsive launch’

立法者谋求国防部对“响应式发射”预算的再次大幅增长

WASHINGTON — Congress added $50 million to the Pentagon’s 2022 budget for responsive launch – or services from commercial small satellite launchers that can fly payloads on short notice. Lawmakers are now proposing to increase that funding to $150 million in the 2023 budget.

华盛顿——国会在五角大楼2022 年的预算中增加了5000 万美元用于响应式发射——或用于商业小型卫星发射器的服务，这些发射器可以在短时间内发射有效载荷。立法者现在正提议在2023 年预算中将这一资金增加到1.5 亿美元。

A bipartisan group of 25 House lawmakers in a letter last month asked the leaders of the defense appropriations subcommittee to consider tripling the funding for “tactically responsive launch” in the Pentagon’s fiscal year 2023 budget.

一个由25 名众议院议员组成的两党小组上个月在一封信中要求国防拨款小组委员会的领导人考虑将五角大楼2023 财年预算中用于“战术响应发射”的资金增加两倍。

“As vividly demonstrated by Russia’s 2021 destructive anti-satellite test, threats to our critical national security space assets continue to increase, both from adversary on-orbit and terrestrial counter-space capabilities and from space debris,” said the letter signed by Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) and Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), and co-signed by 23 other members.

这封由内华达州民主党众议员史蒂文·霍斯福德（Steven Horsford ）和佛罗里达州共和党众议员迈克尔·沃尔茨（Michael Waltz ）签署，并由其他23 个成员共同署名的信中说：“俄罗斯2021 年破坏性反卫星试验生动表明，对我们关键的国家安全太空资产的威胁持续增加，这些威胁既来自对手的在轨和地面反太空能力，也来自太空碎片，”

The United States is “not currently positioned with an operational capability to rapidly replace assets in orbit that are degraded, disabled, or destroyed or to rapidly launch satellites for urgent new missions,” the letter said. “As an element of the United States’ move toward a more resilient space architecture, it is critical that its space assets can be launched, reconstituted, and augmented on tactical timelines in support of the warfighter and others responsible for our nation’s security.”

信中说，美国“目前没有能力迅速更换低级、失效或被摧毁在轨资产，也没有能力迅速发射卫星执行新的紧急新任务”。“至关重要的是，作为美国向更具弹性的空间架构迈进的一个要素，空间资产可以在战术时间表上发射、重组和增强，以支持作战人员和其他对我国安全负责的人。”

Horsford and Waltz wrote a similar letter in January asking appropriators to add $50 million for tactically responsive launch. That letter was co-signed by 10 lawmakers, so the coalition has grown in the months since.

霍斯福德和华尔兹在一月份写了一封类似的信，要求拨款者增加5000 万美元用于战术响应发射。这封信是由10 名议员共同签署的，因此这一联盟在此后的几个月里有所壮大。

The lawmakers suggest that the $150 million should be spent on several efforts: Continue to fly Tactically Responsive Launch (TacRL) missions managed by the Space Systems Command, demonstrate rapid space reconstitution and satellite augmentation, accelerate development of processes needed to implement tactically responsive space and launch operations, and establish specialized units.

议员们建议，这1.5 亿美元应该花在以下几个方面：继续执行由航天系统司令部管理的战术快速响应发射（TacRL ）任务，展示快速空间重构和卫星增强系统，加速开发实施战术快速响应空间和发射操作所需的程序并建立专门的单位。

The latest letter points out that the head of U.S. Space Command, Gen. James Dickinson, said having a responsive launch capability would likely deter enemies from attempting to destroy U.S. satellites, as they could be rapidly replaced.

这封最新的信指出，美国航天司令部司令詹姆斯·迪金森将军说，拥有快速响应发射能力可能会打消敌人试图摧毁美国卫星的念头，因为被摧毁的卫星可以很快被替换。

If Congress adds funding for tactically responsive launch in 2023, it would mark the third year in a row that the program gets funded by congressional add-ons as the Pentagon has not requested money for this program. Small satellite launch companies like Virgin Orbit have actively lobbied for funding for responsive launch, which would go to small launch services providers that don’t require conventional launch facilities. Virgin Orbit air-launches rockets from a modified Boeing 747- 400 carrier aircraft.

由于五角大楼没有为该计划申请资金，如果国会在2023 年增加对战术响应发射的资金，这将标志着该计划连续第三年获得国会附加资金。 像维珍轨道这样的小型卫星发射公司积极游说以求国会为快速响应发射提供资金，这些资金将流向不需要常规发射设施的小型发射服务提供商。维珍轨道公司从一架改装过的波音747 -400 运载飞机上发射火箭。

The Space Force funds small satellite launches via the Rocket Systems Launch Program, and created the Orbital Services Program (OSP)-4 contracting vehicle. Vendors pre-selected for OSP-4 can compete for task orders to launch payloads greater than 400 pounds to any orbit within 12-24 months from contract award.

太空部队通过火箭系统发射计划资助小型卫星发射，并创建了轨道服务计划（OSP ）-4 承包飞行器。为OSP -4 预选的供应商可以竞争任务订单，在签署合同后12 -24 个月内将大于400 磅的有效载荷发射到任何轨道。

The Space Force’s Space Systems Command on May 12 announced it plans to award a contract in August for the Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS-3) mission. OSP-4 vendors are eligible to compete for the task order.

5 月12 日，太空部队的太空系统司令部宣布，计划在8 月签订一份战术响应太空（TacRS -3 ）任务的合同。OSP -4 供应商有资格竞争任务订单。