Space

Rapid Solutions Development

SAIC has been designing, building, and supporting operations of space system payloads for over 30 years. We conduct mission analyses to define requirements, provide design, development, integration and test, and on-orbit support to meet program needs. We have supported the design, development, and operation of such payloads as the MSTI-3 multi-spectral sensor and the hyper-spectral sensor for the Naval Earth Map Observer (NEMO) satellite system, the XSS-10 and 11 imaging sensors for space rendezvous missions, Orbital Express, the optical payload for the NFIRE program, and the Window Observational Research Facility on the International Space Station.

SAIC successfully developed and delivered the Commercially Hosted Infrared Payload (CHIRP) to the U.S. Air Force. Launched in September 2011 as a hosted payload aboard a commercial geostationary communications satellite, it has the potential to improve the state-of-the-art in space-proven staring infrared sensor solutions. SAIC will operate the payload from its CHIRP Mission Analysis facility in Seal Beach, California.

SAIC has expertise in delivering overhead persistent infrared (OPIR) payloads, hyperspectral solutions, and space situational awareness systems in support of national security space needs. Our flexibility and adaptability to new capabilities and requirements suits us toward the design and development of solutions in a rapid prototyping or quick reaction capability environment.

Space Systems Engineering and Integration

Our scientists, engineers and programmers provide a full range of engineering and integration management support for military and civil space customers. We are the prime contractor leading the systems engineering and integration efforts for the U.S. Air Force Global Positioning System Directorate. We manage a team of over 220 staff providing critical architecture, engineering and integration capabilities to enable the efficient delivery and maintenance of GPS program capabilities.

We also provide critical domain knowledge and SE&I expertise to other national security space programs, including MILSATCOM and the Space-Based Infrared Systems (SBIRS) programs. In addition, we provide advanced space mission planning expertise to the U.S. military and to space research centers developing and operating robotic missions in near-earth orbit, those bound for other bodies in the solar system and for missions of human exploration of the moon and Mars. Our domain knowledge and experience provide strong credentials for meeting the stringent engineering and integration demands needed by national programs.

Space Sustainment and Operations

SAIC provides critical support to sustaining and maintaining operational national security space capabilities employing experienced sustainment and specialty engineering capabilities. Our teams provide support for sustainment of many of the primary operational U.S. Air Force space systems including SBIRS, GPS, and MILSATCOM. We support reliability, maintainability, and availability engineering, program environmental, safety, and health evaluation, operational safety, suitability, and effectiveness analyses. We regularly support joint operations planning and wargames objectives development and enable lessons-learned analyses.

We provide operations support to space systems to enhance military operations, providing field support, management, training, and developing product capabilities that enable productive incorporation of space-provided information and capabilities. We provide engineers and technicians who support space telemetry downlink operations and analysis, providing analytical expertise in decomposing data streams, improving data quality and providing data analysis products.

Exploitation of Space Assets

SAIC uses its advanced understanding of the space domain to provide imagery and mapping management, and data dissemination to support military and civil operations. We construct mapping and simulation products for a wide range of customers. Our engineers helped make the GPS a reality. Today, we apply expert knowledge of GPS and, more generically, our position, navigation and timing (PNT) credentials in the design and operation of military, government, civilian and international applications.

We also support NASA, NOAA, EPA, USGS, NGA, other federal agencies, and a diverse set of commercial and international customers in a broad range of space, earth, ocean, and atmospheric applied sciences and research. Our strong focus on global change and meteorological research includes both scientific research and the development of data systems that support that research.