The National Security Space Office (NSSO) was created on 30
April 2004 by USecAF/DNRO
memoranda merging the responsibilities and resources of
the National Security Space Architect (NSSA), the National Security
Space Integration Directorate (NSSI), and the Transformational
Communications Office (TCO). The new NSSO was established to
build on the functions and processes of the NSSA, the NSSI,
and the TCO and to add new capabilities including National Security
Space (NSS)-wide enterprise engineering and functional area
integration.
The NSSA was the oldest of the constituent organizations comprising
the new NSSO. On 31 July 1998, a SecDef/DCI
MoU was signed to establish a management structure for national
security space capabilities IAW Presidential direction. The
mission of the NSSA was to develop and integrate mid- and long-term
space architectures across DoD and IC space mission areas. Initially,
the NSSA reported to the ASD(C3I) and the DDCI/CM. On 18 October
2001, a SecDef memo implemented the findings of the Space Commission
transferring the NSSA to the USecAF/DNRO and establishing the
USecAF as the DoD Executive Agent (EA) for Space. The SecDef
memo also assigned an additional mission to the NSSA to conduct
an annual Space Program Assessment and to assist with space
and non-space trades. This solidified NSSA's unique role of
providing an architect's perspective and a cross-community approach
to enable informed decisions.
The NSSI was established by a 12 April 2002 memorandum from
SAF/AA to integrate black and white space activities. The tasks
of the NSSI were to define and track unified space capabilities
and systems and to monitor space systems acquisition. The TCO
was established on 3 September 2002 as a direct result of the
Transformational Communications Architecture prepared by the
NSSA and subsequent Transformational Communications studies.
The mission of the TCO was to develop a process, strategy, and
an architecture that enabled the implementation of an interoperable
satellite communications network.
Today the NSSO's mission is to facilitate the integration
and coordination of defense and intelligence space activities.
The Director of the NSSO leads collaborative efforts of the
NSS community to:
Develop and coordinate NSS strategies, concepts, plans, and
architectures for mid- to long-term, enterprise engineering
activities, transition strategies, and functional area integration
efforts.
Assess NSS strategies, architectures, plans, programs, and
processes on an ongoing basis.
Advise various defense and intelligence acquisition and requirements
boards on space-related topics.
Advise the SecDef, the DNI, the DoD EA for Space, STRATCOM,
and services and agencies on matters affecting NSS capabilities.
Provide independent, objective analyses and advice to the
SecDef, the DNI, and senior decision makers on requirements,
strategies, plans, programs, budgets, acquisition, and professional
development activities.
Facilitate the coordination of requirements, the resulting
end-to-end architectures, and other NSS products.
