The Space Test Program has been providing access to space for the DOD space research and development community since 1965. The technologies behind most military satellite programs flying today, such as the Global Positioning System, military communications satellites and space-based surveillance and weather systems, had their initial demonstrations as Space Test Program risk reduction experiments. The Space Test Program has a long history and well-developed expertise in mission design; spacecraft bus acquisition, payload integration and testing, launch and on-orbit operations. Space Test Program has successfully flown 443 experiments on 175 spaceflights as of November 2006. Access to space is provided through all spaceflight means available, including Space Shuttle and the International Space Station and commercial and military expendable launch vehicles. Space Test Program services are available for two categories of customers: experiments selected by the DOD Space Experiments Review Board that are eligible for Space Test Program funding and customers supplying their own funds. The Space Experiments Review Board serves as the focal point of space technology demonstration in DOD. Experiments that have a high potential for providing a new warfighting capability or enhancing an existing capability compete for Space Experiments Review Board approval and eventual spaceflight through Space Test Program. Each year the Space Experiments Review Board releases a rank-order listing of all experiments they wish to have spaceflight-tested. This list is provided to the Space Test Program, which then manifests as many experiments as its budget will allow. DOD customers with their own funding can access all the services of the Space Test Program provided through the Space Development and Test Wing without having to compete at the Space Experiments Review Board. Capabilities ·Mission design ·Spacecraft bus acquisition ·Payload test and integration ·Launch ·On-orbit operations
