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The United States of America has successfully launched prototype hypersonic and ballistic missile tracking sensor satellites into low-Earth orbit.
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The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and Space Development Agency (SDA) confirmed the successful launch of six satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket.
The launches include two satellites for MDA’s hypersonic and ballistic tracking space sensor and the four tracking layer satellites of its Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) were safely delivered to orbit and are conducting initial testing and checkout.
“This launch represents a pivotal time for MDA as we enter a new phase of missile warning, tracking and defence,” according to MDA director Lieutenant General Heath Collins.
“These HBTSS satellites are an essential step forward in our efforts to stay ahead of our adversaries.”
The space sensor prototypes reportedly provide fire control quality data required to defeat advanced missile threats and are designed to enable effective engagement of threats, such as hypersonic glide-phase weapons, by missile defence weapons.
The sensors are reportedly able to detect hypersonic, ballistic and other advanced threats earlier than terrestrial radars; which can then be handed over to linked missile defence weapons.
The launch of the two prototype systems is expected to be followed by two years of on-orbit testing, with US engineers running tests and checkout procedures to ensure the satellites are operating and communicating with other systems as expected.
“Launching our tracking satellites into the same orbit with the MDA HBTSS satellites is a win for both agencies,” according to SDA director Derek Tournear.
“We'll be able to look at test targets from the same orbit at the same time, so that we can see how the two sensors work together.
“In Tranche 1, SDA will fly both sensor types as an operational system – medium-field-of-view demonstrating fire control, based on HBTSS design, and wide-field-of-view doing warning and tracking, based on T0 tracking design.”
SDA, part of the US Space Force, has previously deployed 23 Tranche 0 satellites on-orbit in 2023 such as transport and tracking layer satellites, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
