Following a profitable launch from Cape Canaveral Area Pressure Station in Florida right this moment, the U.S. Area Pressure is now speaking with the sixth Area Primarily based Infrared System Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (SBIRS GEO) -6 satellite tv for pc, constructed by Lockheed Martin. The ultimate satellite tv for pc within the SBIRS program sequence, GEO-6 joins the U.S. Area Pressure’s constellation of missile warning satellites geared up with highly effective scanning and staring infrared surveillance sensors. The GEO-6 satellite tv for pc is a stepping stone towards the resilient missile warning to be offered by SBIRS’ successor, the Subsequent Technology OPIR GEO System (NGG). Like SBIRS GEO-5 and GEO-6, NGG will likely be primarily based on Lockheed Martin’s modernized LM 2100 Fight Bus™, which supplies further capabilities equivalent to cyber hardening, resiliency options, enhanced spacecraft energy, and improved propulsion and electronics.
“The necessity for Overhead Persistent Infrared methods has by no means been extra essential. At Lockheed Martin, we’re making developments to maintain tempo with evolving wants primarily based on rising threats in our army clients’ surroundings, serving to pave the best way for the longer term. SBIRS GEO-6 fortifies the present missile warning structure, and it additionally signifies that we’re on our technique to reaching even higher technological capability and expanded protection with NGG,” mentioned Michael Corriea, vp of Lockheed Martin Area’s Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) Mission Space.
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The SBIRS GEO-6 satellite tv for pc is responding to the U.S. Area Pressure’s instructions as deliberate. Sign acquisition was confirmed 3 hours and 43 minutes after the satellite tv for pc’s 6:29 a.m. EDT carry off aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket. The satellite tv for pc is now orbiting underneath its personal propulsion following separation from the rocket. The onboard sensors gather knowledge that permit the U.S. army to detect missile launches, assist ballistic missile protection, broaden technical intelligence gathering and bolstering situational consciousness on the battlefield. The OPIR mission has turn out to be extra essential as ballistic missile know-how has proliferated around the globe with over 1,000 missile launches tracked yearly. Lockheed Martin acknowledges that modernized know-how is required to reinforce the present missile warning structure and enhance resiliency towards assaults.
Lockheed Martin is proud to be a part of the SBIRS workforce led by Area Techniques Command’s Area Sensing Directorate at Los Angeles Air Pressure Base. Lockheed Martin Area, Sunnyvale, California, is the SBIRS prime contractor, with Northrop Grumman of Azusa, California, because the payload provider. SBIRS makes use of infrared surveillance to supply early missile warning for the U.S. army and is taken into account one of many nation’s highest precedence house packages. The system features a mixture of satellites and hosted payloads in Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) and Extremely Elliptical Orbit (HEO) and floor {hardware} and software program. Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin Company is a world safety and aerospace firm that employs roughly 114,000 folks worldwide and is principally engaged within the analysis, design, growth, manufacture, integration and sustainment of superior know-how methods, services.
