Programs to Watch

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The United States will spend about $3 billion in 2005 on space control and space force projection programs. More than 90 percent of this money, however, will supplement U.S. command, control, and intelligence systems. The Pentagon did seek a small amount of funding-$217 million in fiscal year 2005-for a handful of potential anti-satellite (ASAT) and space-based missile defense programs that some have called "space weapons." Congress appropriated about 60 percent of this money, or $133 million.

Experimental Satellite Series

The Experimental Satellite Series (XSS) is an Air Force research project that seeks to use small satellites to conduct "proximity operations"-maneuvers …