Missile tracking payloads for SDA satellites to be provided by General Atomics
NewsMarch 12, 2024
SAN DIEGO, California. General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) won a contract from Lockheed Martin Space to supply missile tracking and defense payloads for 18 satellites as part of the Space Development Agency's (SDA) Tranche 2 Tracking Layer Program, GA-EMS announced in a statement.
The electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) sensor systems being developed by GA-EMS include 16 Wide-Field-of-View (WFOV) infrared payloads for missile warning and tracking, along with two Fire Control/Missile Defense (FC/MD) infrared payloads, the statement reads.
The EO/IR sensor systems will be integrated into Lockheed Martin satellites, with a scheduled launch in 2027. GA-EMS's contribution aims to enhance military capabilities in detecting and tracking both advanced and conventional missile threats, including hypersonic missile systems, the company says.
These missile warning/tracking and fire control/missile defense payloads, featuring on-orbit mission data processing, are designed to provide real-time missile tracking. Once launched into low Earth orbit (LEO), these satellites will join SDA's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture LEO constellation to provide persistent, global, real-time missile detection and tracking capabilities, the statement adds.
