The Space Based Infrared System Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (SBIRS GEO) satellite is being prepped for a Jan. 19 launch.
SBIRS GEO Flight 3 will be carried into orbit aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. On Jan. 7, the satellite was encapsulated in its protective launch vehicle fairing.
“The SBIRS GEO Flight 3 satellite is the latest to join an orbiting network of satellites equipped with powerful scanning and staring sensors that collect and transmit infrared surveillance information to relay ground stations,” a Lockheed Martin news release said. “This information is used by the U.S. military to detect missile launches, support ballistic missile defense, expand technical intelligence gathering and bolster situational awareness on the battlefield. While SBIRS’ primary mission is strategic missile warning, infrared data will also be made available for new qualified military and civilian uses at the Air Force’s recently opened Tools, Applications and Processing Lab in Boulder, Colorado.”
The next satellite, SBIRS GEO Flight 4, is now in storage while awaiting final assembly, integration and test prior to its planned 2017 launch. SBIRS GEO-5 and GEO-6, which are currently in production, incorporate Lockheed Martin’s new modernized A2100 spacecraft system.
