Next-gen OPIR for missile defense completes preliminary design review
NewsJune 25, 2020
FALLS CHURCH, Va. Northrop Grumman reports that it and partner Ball Aerospace (Boulder, Colorado) have successfully completed the preliminary design review (PDR) for the Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next Gen OPIR) Geosynchronous (GEO) Block 0 mission payload for the U.S. Air Force.
Next-Gen OPIR is a satellite system -- with the first block including five space vehicles, three of them in geosynchronous earth orbit and two in polar orbit --that are intended to enable improved missile-warning capabilities that are more resilient against emerging threats.
As the successor to the Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS), the overhead persistent infrared (OPIR) is a critical element that uses sensors in the infrared band, which provides essential data that facilitates reconnaissance, missile tracking, and launch detection.
Northrop Grumman and Ball Aerospace expect to complete the payload’s Critical Design Review in May 2021.
