The sixth Lockheed Martin-built Space-Based Infrared System geosynchronous Earth orbit satellite, SBIRS GEO-6, that took off aboard United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket on Thursday, Aug. 4, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida will complete the U.S. Space Force’s satellite constellation designed to detect missile threats, Defense News reported.
Col. Brian Denaro, program executive officer at Space Systems Command’s space sensing directorate, said the service considers SBIRS a critical capability and that ensuring the integration of sensors and satellites will be key to addressing more missile threats.
“It is absolutely critical that our integrated family of systems that provides this overhead persistent infrared capability is not only able to detect the missiles, we’re able to track them throughout their flight and then report on those events on a timeline that’s relevant to being able to engage those targets,” Denaro told reporters Monday.
“Whether that engagement means notification to the national command authorities to make very important decisions or notification to the Missile Defense Agency and all of its partners to be able to engage those targets, this is an integrated system of capabilities,” he added.
