By John Keller

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - U.S. Air Force officials are ready to approach industry with plans for a major new cryptographic modernization program for space telemetry, tracking, and control.

Overseeing this project are experts at the Air Force Cryptologic Products Systems Group (CPSG) at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

CPSG officials plan a series of spiral developments for the incremental fielding of a new telemetry, tracking, and control (TT&C) information-assurance architecture.

This project is called Modernized Aerospace Vehicle Equipment Solution (MAVES), and the federal solicitation number is FA8307-05-R-0003.

One of CPSG’s first priorities is to develop programmable flight-communications security solutions that will help space- system developers respond to changing threats, vulnerabilities, risks, releasability, interoperability, and cryptographic standards without developing new hardware.

In the first spiral development, Air Force experts want to acquire an inventory of devices that would be programmed for a specific application when prepared for integration into a spacecraft.

Subsequent spirals will introduce additional cryptographic modernization into telemetry, tracking, and control communications security.

Hardware must not be application specific, but instead must be programmable for specific command or telemetry applications and cardholder or Pegasus algorithms upon selection for a specific application or mission. The hardware also must be embeddable in satellite communications systems.

The CPSG also plans to develop a stand-alone end-cryptographic unit based on the embedded solution.

For more information contact contracting officer Yolanda Tollinger at Lackland Air Force Base by e-mail at yolanda.tollinger@lackland.af.mil, or go online to www.herbb.hanscom.af.mil/esc_opps.asp?rfp=R1001.