Rapid Attack Discrimination & Response (RADR) Testbed

The long-term objective of this SBIR is to establish a robust, flexible distributed fusion and resource management testbed with capability to ingest payload, state-of-health, warning sensor, and off-board data. The testbed will support implementation andevaluation of alternative distributed data fusion concepts, as well as quantifying and comparing the contribution of alternative AFRL sensors to overall situational awareness and the effectiveness of alternative response concepts. During Phase I, ALPHATECHproposes to develop a Dual Node Network (DNN) Distributed Fusion and Resource Management (DF&RM) architecture that addresses defensive counterspace mission distributed fusion needs. ALPHATECH will recommend the best alternatives for fusion algorithms towork within the DNN DF&RM architecture. ALPHATECH will also develop an architecture for the testbed needed to evaluate DNN DF&RM fusion and resource management nodes, and conduct two proof-of-concept demonstrations. The first will explore how satellitescan be dynamically selected to participate in a cluster to defend against a potential threat. The second will show how Satellite as Sensor (SAS) data can be used to provide useful source data to the fusion nodes. Based on Phase I results, ALPHATECH will bepositioned to build the Rapid Attack Discrimination & Response (RADR) Testbed during Phase II. Anticipated benefits of this research include: Design of the best available technology to address the distributed fusion across a satellite cluster problem Evaluation of alternative distributed fusion cluster approaches using the RADR Testbed resulting in selection of the best approaches prior to deployment Commercial satellite abnormality detection and classification Extensions into Homeland Security specifically for municipality disaster assessment and response.ALPHATECH sees great potential in commercialization of a testbed capable of evaluating space-based commercial and military applications prior to their actual deployment.