EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The Space Digital Ecosystem and Integration facility, more commonly known as SpaceDEN, was stood up this past Spring to provide Space Force Guardians at Space Systems Command (SSC) with a high-fidelity modeling, simulation, and analysis space where they can apply cutting edge tools to deliver warfighter capability ever faster and with ever increasing efficiency.
The mission of SpaceDEN is to serve as a digital ecosystem enabling the USSF to identify capability opportunities, predict performance requirements, and develop acquisition strategies to counter emerging threats. Inside its walls, Guardians have access to a world of digital opportunity: there are unclassified and secure networks, hybrid on-premises/cloud digital engineering enclaves, and Digital Engineering Environments (DEE) that provide access to over 40 digital tools. Guardians use these tools to conduct modeling and simulation, rapid prototyping, analysis, and systems engineering in a collaborative space that invites teamwork and innovation.
At SpaceDEN’s ribbon cutting, USSF Col. Corey J. Klopstein, PEO for Operational Test and Training Infrastructure (OTTI), emphasized the importance of SpaceDEN, stating, "SpaceDEN will serve as a crucial hub within our Test and Training infrastructure. We aim to provide operators with access to the same systems used for prototyping and testing new capabilities. This allows them to refine Concepts of Operations (CONOPs), develop effective Tools, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs), and rigorously validate the operational performance of these new systems."
Klopstein further added, "There's significant value in ensuring that the core capabilities housed at SpaceDEN are readily available to both Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM) testers and Combat Forces Command (CFC) operators at their home stations, empowering them to achieve these objectives."
USSF Col. Bryon McClain, Program Executive Officer (PEO) for Space Combat Power (SCP), also spoke at the ribbon cutting.
“The future of space superiority relies on agility and adaptability,” said McClain. “SpaceDEN is the cornerstone of the USSF’s growing test and training infrastructure, enabling us to not only do testing, training, and acquisition right, but also keeping those processes integrated.”
SpaceDEN provides a virtual proving ground where the USSF, industry, and mission partners can experiment, analyze, and make informed decisions before deploying expensive hardware and software. The facility currently supports SSC. However, Col. McClain shared that it won’t stop there because SpaceDEN is meant to be a USSF-wide resource.
“This is how we're going to identify mission engineering requirements through risk, issue and gap analysis. We're going to close kill chains, we’re going to deter adversaries, we're going to ensure space superiority – and if required, we’re going to win,” said McClain.
“Digital engineering gives us the tools to rapidly prototype, test, and deploy new systems in response to evolving threats,” he added, “and SpaceDEN is where all that’s going to start. Space truly does start here.”