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(S//SI) Journey Completed: Overhead Constellation Ops Centralized
at Denver
FROM:
Chief, Office of Overhead (S333)
Run Date: 01/21/2005
New facility opens; steering group wraps up work (U)
(TS//SI) On 6 December 2004, senior representatives from NSA, NRO (the National
Reconnaissance Office) and Mission Partners convened in Denver to celebrate the completion of
a 5-year effort to centralize Overhead mission planning and execution at the site. The occasion
was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Overhead operations control center (named
GLASSHOUSE) and by the final meeting of the IOSA* Senior Steering Group (SSG) that led the
centralization effort.
(S//SI) Since 1999, NSA and the NRO have been working on a Ground Merged Architecture
(GMA) for the Overhead Collection Management Center (OCMC) and the high altitude
components of the SIGINT Mission Ground Stations. GMA allows the high altitude satellites to
interoperate across missions and field sites. As part of this endeavor, NSA, NRO, and our Mission
Partners agreed to centralize all processors and constellation mission planning and execution
capabilities at the ground stations.
(TS//SI) At the December meeting, SSG principals from NSA, NRO and the Mission Partners
were joined by MajGen James Armor, NRO's Director of Signals Intelligence Systems Acquisition
and Operations Directorate, and MG Richard Quirk, NSA's Signals Intelligence Director, along
with 40 others in Denver and via telephone conference at NSA, NRO and overseas field sites.
(S//SI) NSA, NRO, and Mission Partners formally open the new IOSA Global Glasshouse
(Operations Control Center) with a formal ribbon cutting ceremony
(S//SI) To start the day's events, MG Quirk and MajGen Armor cut the ceremonial ribbon in the
IOSA Global GLASSHOUSE with assistance from Mission Partners. The opening of this new
Operations Control Center marked the centralization of overhead mission management -including both Mission Planning, Scheduling and Assessment (MPSA) and Resource Management
(RM) -- and the integration of more than 100 personnel in Denver, including civilians from NSA,
NRO, Mission Partners, US military personnel and contractors.
(S//SI) Following an informative tour of the new GLASSHOUSE led by Major
one
of five IOSA Mission Directors, the SSG briefing began with opening remarks from
Commander of the Denver site. Next,
thanked
for
the introduction and warm welcome to Denver before starting the agenda. The members
reviewed the accomplishments of the last five years and discussed future directions. Following
the SSG, everyone moved to the Denver Mission Planning "Vault" for a cake-cutting ceremony
and refreshments.
(S) Assembled for SSG,
, Commander, at the Denver site welcomes
distinguished guests
(S) Denver Mission Management Division (MMD) celebrate centralization success with a
ceremonial cake cutting
* Notes:
(S//SI) IOSA = Integrated Overhead SIGINT Architecture
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)."
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DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108