Enabling International Collaboration on ORS

Even before the Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) Office was established, ORS pioneers in DoD expressed a strong desire to collaborate with our allies to realize the ORS vision. Many US allies are already experts at developing and exploiting small satellites and streamlining mission operations for civil and defense applications. Moreover, many of the envisioned ORS missions will undoubtedly support joint allied tactical operations, so having our partners become familiar with ORS concepts and technology now will only simplify future ORS planning and operations. Recognizing the need to work within the framework of DoD Policy, a first step toward this international collaboration was identified as the GIST program. The ORS/AFRL GIST, or Globalize and Internationalize Standards and Technology, program will focus on developing and documenting the legal foundation and establishing the international team to participate in developing ORS Standards. Subsequent steps will likely include, for example, empowering teams of American and allied experts to collaborate on ORS RDT&E activities. In the near term, though, GIST will establish a collaborative environment that will allow US and allied industry, government, and academic organizations to partner in developing the standards and technologies that are key to enabling the “R” in ORS. The GIST approach establishes two complementary channels for collaboration. The first channel is based on a series of bilateral and multilateral government-to-government memoranda and agreements that create the financial and management infrastructure needed to direct and support the activities of the other entities (companies, consortia, universities, etc) as well as involve government R&D organizations in standards development. The second channel is based on establishing US agreements and similar instruments in allied countries, if required, to authorize the “other entities” to exchange the technical information required to develop and document the ORS Standards