Operationally Responsive Space Office The Operationally Responsive Space Office ( ORS Office ) is a joint initiative of several agencies within the United States Department of Defense ( DoD ) . The " stand up " of the office took place 2007 - 05 - 21 at Kirtland Air Force Base . The first director of the ORS Office was Col . Kevin McLaughlin , who was also dual - hatted as commander of the Space Development and Test Wing located at Kirtland . The ORS Office focuses on providing quick - response tactical space - based capabilities to the warfighter utilizing smaller satellites , such as the Tactical Satellite Program and smaller launch vehicles . Organizations that have been involved in ORS activities to date include the United States Army , the United States Navy , DARPA , the National Reconnaissance Office , the Missile Defense Agency and NASA . Leadership . Col John Anttonen took over as Director of the ORS Office in February 2013 . Previous Directors . Peter Wegner from May 2008 . History . The Joint ORS Office is working with the broader space community to provide “ assured space power focused on timely satisfaction of Joint Force Commanders ’ needs . ” The end state of the ORS concept is the ability to address emerging , persistent , and / or unanticipated needs through timely augmentation , reconstitution , and exploitation of space force enhancement , space control , and space support capabilities . The ORS Office is implementing a rapid innovation process using a Modular Open Systems Architecture ( MOSA ) to facilitate rapid assembly , integration , and test ( AI & T ) , deployment , and operations of space assets into the current space architecture in operationally relevant timelines . The ORS Office focuses on material ( spacecraft , launch , range payloads ) and non - material solutions ( business model , acquisition , policy , industrial base , training , command and control , tasking , exploitation , processing , & dissemination , concept of operations ) , and collaborates with national and international agencies to leverage existing investments and develop long - term relationships . Mission . The Joint ORS Office is taking a new approach to risk and mission assurance to rapidly deploy capabilities that are good enough to satisfy warfighter needs across the entire spectrum of operations , from peacetime through conflict . Jumpstart . On May 29 , 2008 SpaceDev announced its Trailblazer spacecraft bus had been selected by the ORS Office as the primary payload to fly on its Jumpstart mission . The Jumpstart payload was carried by the third Falcon 1 flight , which launched from Kwajalein in August 2008 but failed to reach orbit . ORS - 1 . June 29 , 2011 ORS - 1 was launched from the Mid - Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island . . ORS - 1 Launch TacSat - 3 . TacSat - 3 is the first on - orbit Department of Defense intelligence , surveillance and reconnaissance capability delivered to U . S . Strategic Command for their direct imagery support to worldwide combatant commanders . TacSat - 3 complements the wide array of Intelligence Community Combat Support Agencies and other space - based ISR systems which provide information to warfighters . TacSat - 4 . September 27 , 2011 . The Operationally Responsive Space ( ORS ) Office and Air Force ' s Space and Missile Systems Center ( SMC ) provided the launch on a Minotaur - IV from Kodiak , Alaska . Navy Press Release References . Official Operationally Responsive Space Office ( ORS ) Site ORS Facebook Page ORS Twitter Page declared Mission Ready January 3 , 2012