Northrop Grumman
Successfully Completes Major Milestone Towards Delivering and Launching MDA's
Space Tracking and Surveillance System Satellites
(22 June 2007) Northrop Grumman
Corporation, the prime contractor for the Missile Defense Agency's (MDA)
missile detecting Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS), announced
today the successful completion of thermal vacuum testing of space vehicle
number 1.
This major milestone is the culmination of months of
space environmental testing to ensure successful on-orbit performance. The
space vehicle will now go through a series of checkouts as it is prepared for
shipment to the launch site later this year.
The second STSS space
vehicle is being prepared for thermal vacuum testing, which will be completed
later this summer.
The two STSS demonstration satellites will be
launched on a single launch vehicle in a tandem configuration from Cape
Canaveral. These demonstration STSS satellites will support the MDA's Ballistic
Missile Defense System (BMDS) Test Bed by detecting, tracking and
discriminating missiles in all phases of flight. The test bed will allow the
assessment of the system's capabilities and its ability to operate in concert
with other parts of a multi-layered missile defence architecture.
In the
deployed operational constellation, STSS will consist of low-earth-orbiting
satellites supported by a ground station. The system is designed to provide
global, continuous missile detection and tracking capabilities. STSS is the
segment that is designed to close the fire-control loop for the entire
ballistic missile defence architecture, which will result in a robust, global,
multi-layered missile defence system.
As a primary supplier of missile
defence technology, Northrop Grumman plays a key role in all phases of our
nation's layered missile defence system. Northrop Grumman's domain expertise
delivers essential capabilities and technologies that integrate functions
across all elements of the ballistic missile defence system.
Northrop
Grumman Corporation is a US$ 30 billion global defence and technology company
whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in
information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government
and commercial customers world-wide.
(source: Northrop
Grumman)