Lockheed Martin has shipped the second Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO-2) Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) space probe to the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, to be prepped for an anticipated launch aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas 5 rocket.
The goal of the SBIRS program is to offer a resilient and enhanced missile warning capabilities for the country, featuring a combination of satellites in geosynchronous orbit, hosted payloads in highly elliptical earth (HEO) orbit, and ground hardware and software — all while delivering essential contributions to the military’s missile defense, technical intelligence and battlespace awareness mission areas.
“We performed a disciplined integration and test campaign for GEO-2 and are now looking forward to successfully launching this spacecraft to ultimately help protect our nation and allies with unprecedented global, persistent infrared surveillance capabilities,” Lockheed Martin Vice President of Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) Missions Jeff Smith said in a company statement. “As we continue to produce SBIRS assets, we expect to drive even greater efficiency into our operations to reduce costs for the government while still ensuring mission success.”
Engineers from Lockheed will be finishing post shipment testing, fuel the satellite’s propulsion system and encapsulate the space probe inside the launch vehicle’s payload fairing before its launch. The fairing will be mated on top of the Atlas 5 rocket for final integrated testing and closeout preparations for launch.
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