Northrop Grumman is prepared to meet a Defense Department goal of 2007 for launch of two prototype missile detection and tracking satellites, a component in the planned U.S. national missile defense system, Defense Week reported today (see GSN, Dec. 2, 2002).

The first two prototype satellites, to be equipped with infrared and visible sensors, are to be launched in 2006 and 2007, Northrop Grumman vice president for missile defense Patrick Caruana said.

“Both the acquisition and track sensors exist,” along with related equipment and the satellite itself, Caruana said, citing a low risk in integrating the systems.

The Space Tracking and Surveillance System satellites were previously known as the Space-Based Infrared System Low.

Once in low orbit, the satellites will be integrated into the U.S. missile test bed, set to be activated next year to provide an initial missile defense capability, according to Defense Week (see GSN, April 11).  The satellites will “validate space-based sensor concepts for target acquisition, tracking, and discrimination and to provide a space node for the test bed,” U.S. Missile Defense Agency Director Air Force Lt. Gen. Ronald Kadish told the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee this month (Ann Roosevelt, Defense Week, April 14).

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