By Marina Malenic
Air Force Space and Missile Command announced last week that critical design reviews (CDR) for the Space Based Infrared System’s (SBIRS) follow-on production program for the Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) and Geosynchronous (GEO) payloads have been completed.
The review was conducted by SMC’s SBIRS Wing and its contractors. Lockheed Martin [LMT] is the prime contractor for the SBIRS program and Northrop Grumman [NOC] is the principal subcontractor for payload integration and test. The Aerospace Corporation provides technical and managerial support to the wing.
SBIRS is the next-generation missile early warning system designed to enhance and augment the Defense Support Program satellites.
“Payload CDR culminates 21 months of effort replacing obsolete parts and implementing lessons learned from our first two GEO and HEO payloads,” Col. Scott Larrimore, commander of the SBIRS Space Group, said in a Dec. 29 statement. “It is a significant step on the path to complete the SBIRS constellation and to bring the superior capabilities of two additional HEO payloads and two additional GEO satellites into the hands of the warfighters.”
“In this case, the CDR primarily serves to ensure the design is complete prior to building the flight hardware,” a SBIRS Wing spokesman explained in response to questions from Defense Daily.
The fiscal year 2010 Defense Department budget request provides for additional GEO-4 long-lead piece-part procurement and fully funds HEO-4 procurement. The Pentagon is poised to purchase two additional HEO payloads, HEO-3 and HEO-4, and two additional GEO satellites, GEO-3 and GEO-4.
The just-completed review covered the HEO-3, GEO-3 and future HEO/GEO infrared payload subsystems, according to the spokesman. A space vehicle and system preliminary design review is expected later this year.
The HEO-3 payload and GEO-3 system are currently in production, and the HEO-4 payload and GEO-4 system are in the long-lead piece part procurement stage. The GEO-3 satellite CDR is planned for August 2010 and the HEO and GEO System, including required ground station modifications, is scheduled for Nov. 2010.
The projected contractual delivery dates of the four systems are:
- HEO-3 delivery to host: September 2012
- GEO-3 Satellite factory test complete (ready for shipment to launch site): August 2014
- HEO-4 delivery to host: 2014
- GEO-4 ready for shipment to launch site: 2015
The contractual delivery dates for HEO-4 and GEO-4 are still in negotiation and will be finalized by April, according to SMC. Since March 2008, $529 million has been spent on design updates and production readiness, GEO-3 and HEO-3 production efforts (including long-lead piece part procurement), and GEO-4 and HEO-4 long-lead piece part procurement efforts.
The HEO payload consists of a single scanning sensor. The GEO payload consists of both a scanning sensor and a staring sensor. The scanning sensor provides continuous observation and surveillance of traditional intercontinental ballistic missile threats.
The SBIRS Wing develops, deploys and sustains a $25.2 billion portfolio of surveillance satellites and associated ground control stations for the DSP and the SBIRS program. The systems detect, track and report global and theater ballistic missile attacks against the United States and allied countries.