Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




MISSILE DEFENSE
SBIRS Geo-2 Missile Defense Early Warning Satellite Certified For Operation
by Staff Writers, The Infrared Space Systems Directorate
Sunnyvale Ca (SPX) Dec 22, 2013


Infrared Space Systems Directorate.

The second Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) satellite built by Lockheed Martin to provide our nation continuous early warning of ballistic missile launches and other tactical intelligence was recently declared operational.

The SBIRS GEO-2 satellite received Air Force Space Command Operational Acceptance on Nov. 25, just eight months after its March 19 launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, with performance that matches, and in some cases exceeds requirements.

SBIRS GEO-1 was declared operational on May 21, 2013.

The SBIRS program delivers timely, reliable and accurate missile warning and infrared surveillance information to the President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, combatant commanders, the intelligence community and other key decision makers.

The system enhances global missile launch detection capability, supports the nation's ballistic missile defense system, expands the country's technical intelligence gathering capacity and bolsters situational awareness for warfighters on the battlefield.

The SBIRS architecture includes a resilient mix of satellites in GEO, hosted payloads in Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) orbit, and ground hardware and software.

The integrated system supports multiple missions simultaneously, while providing robust performance with global, persistent coverage.

"The certification of GEO-2 just eight months after launch validates the performance advances we expected to start seeing as the SBIRS program moved into full production," said Jeff Smith, vice president of Lockheed Martin's Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) mission area.

"Our team is focused on providing the Air Force with improved affordability and resiliency, as well as evolving SBIRS to new capabilities as we exploit the unprecedented detailed data received from the system."

Lockheed Martin's SBIRS contracts include four HEO payloads, four GEO satellites, and ground assets to receive, process, and disseminate the infrared mission data. The company delivered HEO-1 in 2004, HEO 2 in 2005 and HEO 3 this past June.

These HEO payloads have provided mission performance surpassing specifications.

This fall, GEO-3 successfully passed functional integration testing of its spacecraft bus and is on schedule for delivery to the Air Force in 2014. GEO-4, also in production, is scheduled for delivery in 2015. Lockheed Martin is currently under contract for SBIRS GEO-5 and GEO-6 long-lead parts procurement.

The SBIRS team is led by the Infrared Space Systems Directorate at the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center. Lockheed Martin is the SBIRS prime contractor, Northrop Grumman is the payload integrator. Air Force Space Command operates the SBIRS system.

.


Related Links
Infrared Space Systems Directorate
Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
All about missiles at SpaceWar.com
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








MISSILE DEFENSE
NATO to declare missile shield without Putin: Rasmussen
Moscow (AFP) March 26, 2012
NATO will announce the completion of the first stage of a controversial missile defence shield at a May summit that will not include Russian leader Vladimir Putin, its chief said Monday. NATO secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the Western military bloc intended to announce the deployment of the first "interim" phase of a missile defence shield for Europe at the summit in Chicago. ... read more


MISSILE DEFENSE
NASA Releases New Earthrise Simulation Video

Most Chang'e-3 science tools activated

China's Lunar Lander May Provide Additional Science for NASA Spacecraft

China plans to launch Chang'e-5 in 2017

MISSILE DEFENSE
Curiosity Team Upgrades Software, Checks Wheel Wear

Opportunity Communications Remain Slow Due To Odyssey Issues

New Views of Mars from Sediment Mineralogy

NASA poised to launch Mars atmosphere probe

MISSILE DEFENSE
Sierra Nevada Completes CCDev2, Begins Dream Chaser Flight Test Program

Russia's Putin pledges $1.5 billion for basic science research

Asia's year in space triggers applause but also worry

NASA's network for talking to space missions nears 50th anniversary

MISSILE DEFENSE
China's moon rover continues lunar survey after photographing lander

China's Yutu "naps", awakens and explores

Deep space monitoring station abroad imperative

Chinese sci-fi writers laud moon landing

MISSILE DEFENSE
Astronauts remove faulty ammonia pump during first spacewalk after ISS coolant system goes wrong

No early Christmas? Spacesuit issue delays second spacewalk to fix ISS cooling system

Spacesuit flaw postpones station repairs to Dec 24

NASA and Russia prolong contract on Soyuz taxi flights to ISS

MISSILE DEFENSE
Orbital Launches Completes 40th Consecutive Successful Suborbital Rocket For NASA

Argentina successfully launches research rocket

Gaia secured inside fairing

India to decide December 27 on GSAT-14 launch date

MISSILE DEFENSE
Gaia Mission Could Help Map Exoplanets

First detection of a predicted unseen exoplanet

Astronomers solve temperature mystery of planetary atmospheres

Nearby failed stars may harbor planet

MISSILE DEFENSE
Europe's Gaia telescope detaches from Fregat-MT upper stage

Sailing satellites into safe retirement

Researchers Design First Battery-Powered Invisibility Cloaking Device

'Macrocells' influence corrosion rate of submerged marine concrete structures




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement