The the Near Field Infrared Experiment (NFIRE) research satellite successfully detected and tracked a modified Minuteman II booster vehicle with a simplified target payload that was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., the Missile Defense Agency announced.
That demonstrates a critical technology, providing early warning that an enemy attack is underway.
The flight test was designed to collect data on a boosting long-range target missile collected by NFIRE.
The NFIRE satellite has been in orbit since it was launched from Wallops Island, Va., a NASA space launch facility, on April 24 last year.
This test provided an opportunity for the NFIRE satellite to collect high and low resolution images of a boosting rocket, which will improve understanding of missile exhaust plume observations and plume-to-rocket body discrimination.
Data from the NFIRE satellite were downlinked to the Missile Defense Space Experimentation Center at the Missile Defense Integration & Operations Center at Schriever AFB, Colo.
The NFIRE exercise campaign supports design and development of space-based sensors like the Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS) currently under development, as well as design and development of boost phase interceptor sensors.
Designated NFIRE 2b, this is the second of two dedicated target launches for NFIRE. The first, NFIRE 2a, was conducted on Aug. 23 last year.
Program officials will continue to evaluate system performance based upon telemetry and other data obtained during the exercise. The Missile Defense Agency will use this data to validate and update models and simulations that are fundamental to missile defense technologies.
General Dynamics Corp. [GD] is the system integrator for the NFIRE mission, and designed and manufactured the satellite. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Science Applications International Corp. [SAI] provided the primary satellite payload, the Track Sensor Payload.
Orbital Sciences Corp. [ORB] provided the target rocket booster system. The satellite also carries a secondary payload, the Laser Communication Terminal, built by Tesat-Spacecom of Germany, which has been used for conducting crosslink satellite-to-satellite and satellite-to-ground communication experiments.