WASHINGTON A key milestone in the testing of one of the U.S. Space Forces next generation missile warning sensor payloads has been reached.
The Raytheon Technologies-developed sensor, which will fly on at least one of the first three Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared geostationary satellites, completed thermal vacuum testing in late January, according to the company.
These tests are intended to verify the system’s performance under conditions similar to those it might encounter on orbit.
Space is a dynamic environment. In a press release Wednesday, Raytheons President Space and Command and Control of Raytheon Intelligence and Space Kristin Robson stated that it is crucial to ensure our instruments are ready for any challenge.
The data from the tests can be used to support future program milestones like flight hardware manufacturing or payload delivery. It can also feed into a simulation environment where engineering team uses it to give feedback on the designs performance as well as to demonstrate various functions including launch support and post-production support.
This type of agile development, the press release notes, can provide rapid and iterative design insights while modeling evolutionary paymentload upgrade capabilities to meet future mission requirements.
Next-Generation OPIr will replace the Space Forces existing missile-warning system, the Space-Based Infrared System. Block 0, which is the first phase of Block 1, includes three GEO satellites developed by Lockheed Martin and two Northrop Grumman polar satellites. In 2025, the first GEO space vehicle will launch.
Both Raytheon and the Northrop and Ball Aerospace teams are developing sensor payloads for the GEO-based part of the program. Each company will send sensors to at least one satellite. Lockheed will select one payload to be integrated on the third GEO spacecraft.
The Ball-Northrop team revealed in December that it had completed A variety of environmental tests were performedIt also provided thermal vacuum for its engineering development unit, and stated that it is on track to deliver its flight payload by 2023.
Both sensors of the two teams passed critical design review this summer, along with Lockheeds satellite design. The program Completed a complete system CDRIn late October, the satellite, ground segment and other equipment were all available.
Courtney Albon, C4ISRNET’s emerging technology and space reporter, is Courtney Albon. She has previously covered the U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Space Force to Inside Defense.
