OPERATIONALLY RESPONSIVE SPACE.

SEC. 913. OPERATIONALLY RESPONSIVE SPACE.(a) Joint Operationally Responsive Space Payload Technology Organization.—(1) In general.—The Secretary of Defense shall establish or designate an organization in the Department of Defense to coordinate joint operationally responsive space payload technology.(2) Master plan.—The organization established or designated under paragraph (1) shall produce an annual master plan for coordination of operationally responsive space payload technology and shall coordinate resources provided to stimulate technical development of small satellite payloads. The annual master plan shall describe focus areas for development of operationally responsive space payload technology, including—(A) miniaturization technology for satellite payloads;(B) increased sensor acuity;(C) concept of operations exploration;(D) increased processor capability; and(E) such additional matters as the head of that organization determines appropriate.(3) Requests for proposals.—The Secretary of Defense, acting through the Director of the Office of Force Transformation, shall award contracts, from amounts available for that purpose for any fiscal year, for technology projects that support the focus areas set out in the master plan for development of operationally responsive space payload technology.(4) Assessment factors.—In assessing any proposal submitted for a contract under paragraph (3), the Secretary shall consider—(A) how the proposal correlates to the goals articulated in the master plan under paragraph (2) and to the National Security Space Architecture; and(B) the probability, for the project for which the proposal is submitted, of eventual transition either to a laboratory of one of the military departments for continued development or to a joint program office for operational deployment.(b) Report on Joint Program Office for TACSAT.—Not later than February 28, 2006, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report providing a plan for the creation of a joint program office for the Tactical Satellite program and for transition of that program out of the Office of Force Transformation and to the administration of the joint program office. The report shall be prepared in conjunction with the Department of Defense executive agent for space.(c) Joint Report on Certain Space and Missile Defense Activities.—Not later than February 28, 2006, the Department of Defense executive agent for space and the Director of the Missile Defense Agency shall submit to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives a joint report on the value of each of the following:(1) Increased use of the Rocket Systems Launch Program for the respective missions of the Department of the Air Force and the Missile Defense Agency.(2) An agreement between the Director of the Missile Defense Agency and the Secretary of the Air Force for eventual 119 STAT. 3409 transition of operational control of small satellite demonstrations from the Missile Defense Agency to the Department of the Air Force.(3) A partnership between the Missile Defense Agency and the Department of the Air Force in the development of common high-altitude and near-space assets for the respective missions of the Missile Defense Agency and the Department of the Air Force.