Two Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS) demonstration satellites being built by Northrop Grumman [NOC] for the Missile Defense Agency have successfully completed acoustic testing, the company said yesterday.
The satellites were tested in their launch configuration, simulating the planned tandem launch on a Delta II launch vehicle. They were subjected to the maximum sound and vibration levels expected during their launch into orbit. The testing was performed at Northrop Grumman’s acoustic test facility in Redondo Beach, Calif.
The demonstration satellites will communicate with MDA’s Ballistic Missile Defense System via the Missile Defense Space Experimentation Center ground station, according to a Northrop Grumman press statement. They will support the BMDS test bed by detecting and tracking missiles in all phases of flight. The test bed will allow the assessment of the satellite system’s capabilities and its ability to operate with other parts of the U.S. missile defense architecture.