Something to ponder: SOA supports military space program
Gary E. Payton, US deputy under secretary of the Air Force for Space Programs, recently testified before Congress, seeking appropriations for the military space program, which includes worldwide communication; global positioning, navigation and timing; global missile warning; weather; and satellite launches.
Credit: Lockheed Martin
Payton also discussed the "Space Fence" and "Space-Based Space Surveillance" programs, which will enhance "Space Situational Awareness" -- sounds like a call for complex event processing capabilities. These programs will be dedicated to tracking objects orbiting or approaching the earth. The IT underpinning these programs will be based on service-oriented architecture, Payton testified. He also referenced JMS, but no, not Java Message Service -- in this case, it means "Joint Mission System."
The need for increased space protection of our space assets is paramount, and requires enhanced Space Situational Awareness (SSA) capabilities and a legitimate battle management system. We need improved accuracy, responsiveness, timeliness, and data integration to support the warfighter. Our FY2011 budget request continues development of the Joint Space Operation Center (JSpOC) Mission System (JMS) to provide this capability and replace our aging mission systems. The JMS program will provide a single, theater-integrated, command and control, information technology system to allow informed and rapid decisions with real-time, actionable SSA. An operational utility evaluation effort will deliver the foundational infrastructure and mission applications to deploy a services-oriented architecture (SOA) with user defined applications.
Many have questioned the ability of SOA-based systems to deliver business value. Can we rely on SOA-based systems to defend the universe?