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The prime’s project to develop a space sensor designed to track hypersonic ballistic missiles has achieved a major milestone.
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Northrop Grumman has completed the critical design review of the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) prototype for the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) — aimed at establishing the company’s technical approach for precise, timely sensor coverage to defeat long-range hypersonic missiles.
HBTSS satellites are designed to provide continuous tracking and handoff to enable targeting of enemy missiles launched from land, sea or air — forming a key part of the Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) multi-layered constellation of satellites.
The constellation is built to sense heat signatures to detect and track missiles from their earliest stages of launch through interception.
“When it comes to national safety, there’s no room for error,” Sarah Willoughby, vice president of OPIR and geospatial systems at Northrop Grumman, said.
“This critical design review puts Northrop Grumman on track to deliver a vital component of our missile defence architecture to keep the US and its allies safe against hypersonic threats.”
HBTSS satellites are also tipped to track threats with near global reach when prompted by other OPIR systems, well before they come into view of US ground-based defences.
This latest development follows Northrop Grumman’s receipt of a $153 million contract from the MDA earlier this year for the Phase IIB portion of the HBTSS program.
The program is on schedule to deliver the HBTSS prototype in 2023, after which the company will conduct an on-orbit test to asses its continuous tracking and rapid processing of hypersonic threats, as well as its ability to effectively hand off the information for missile is interceptions.
[Related: Airbus, Northrop Grumman launch joint bid for NATO contract]
