L3Harris Greenlighted To Produce 16 Hypersonic Missile Tracking Satellites

Friday - December 22 2023, 07:09 UTC - 11 months ago

The United States Space Development Agency (SDA) has finally approved a $700 million contract for L3Harris to produce 16 hypersonic missile tracking satellites that will be ready for launch in 2025. This contract approval is a result of a critical design review (CDR) and a production readiness review (PRR). These will form part of the SDA's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture which will be composed of a Transport Layer and a Tracking Layer. The Tracking Layer relies on infrared sensors and advanced algorithms to detect, track, and fuse threat data. This will be done through a network with optical and radio communications that can be controlled from the ground. The production of these components will take place at a facility in Sydney, Australia.

The United States Space Development Agency (SDA) has finally approved a $700 million contract for L3Harris to produce 16 hypersonic missile tracking satellites.

L3Harris won the contract in 2022 but has only now received the "green light" to begin production of 16 satellites ready for 2025. Once built, the new satellites will detect, monitor, and track hypersonic missiles aimed at the U.S. and its allies.

Critical tests passed .

The approval comes after a critical design review (CDR) and a production readiness review (PRR). "The CDR milestone demonstrates that L3Harris' design will meet the mission requirements, while the PRR provides L3Harris with the SDA's approval to begin the full production process. These major milestones move the program closer to achieving the SDA's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) – a resilient, layered network of military satellites in low-Earth orbit," explained L3Harris in its public announcement.

The SDA is an organization under the U.S. Space Force that is constructing a multi-layered network of satellites called the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. This architecture comprises a Transport Layer, which consists of a series of interconnected communication satellites, and a Tracking Layer, which comprises sensor satellites that collect and transmit data.

The Tranche 1 Tracking Layer of L3Harris relies on infrared sensors and advanced algorithms to detect, track, and fuse threat data in real-time. This information is transmitted to the warfighter through a network that uses optical and radio communications. Ground personnel can also command the space vehicles to point in various modes for additional insight into threat tracks. Ground operations and sustainment also support the program throughout its lifecycle.

L3Harris began constructing essential sub-assemblies well before the CDR to meet the launch schedule commitments. Now that the CDR and PRR are completed, the team has successfully moved on to the assembly and integration phase. They coordinate closely with over 20 major subcontractors and numerous suppliers providing crucial satellites and ground systems components.

"Hypersonic missiles are the most destabilizing kinetic weapons in our adversaries' arsenals due to their dim flight profiles, varied launch points, and high maneuverability," says L3Harris. "To deter their use and, when needed, to defeat them, the United States requires a resilient sensor platform to remove the veil from their flight paths," it added.

"L3Harris is working in lockstep with the SDA to get these critical capabilities on-orbit and into the hands of the nation's warfighters as quickly as possible," De Cort said. "The SDA takes a fundamentally fresh and different approach than traditional defense contracting. Rather than investing schedule and funds in single point solutions, the SDA acquisition plan breaks from tradition to use spiral development leveraging interoperable commercial technologies to deploy tranches of satellites every couple of years," he added.

Made in Australia .

L3Harris producds the Tracking Layer satellite components and integration and test equipment at a facility in Sydney, Australia. This state-of-the-art production facility was chosen because of its expansive space, high bay layout, and established workforce trained in the construction of military satellites.