The Air Force says it has successfully completed verification testing of the interim operations ground system that will be used to support the launch and early orbital testing of the first Space Based Infrared Systems satellite, GEO-1. The testing, which began in December 2008, included assessing more than 1.5 million source lines of code by exercising the ground system in “a robust combination of operational scenarios,” said USAF’s SBIRS Wing in a release Tuesday. The interim ground system will now undergo validation testing to perform final checks before its delivery in support of GEO-1’s placement in orbit, which is expected in 2011, to bolster US capability to detect and track ballistic missile launches. Lockheed Martin builds and maintains the SBIRS ground segment, which is located in Boulder, Colo.
Celebrating 100 Years of Liquid-Fueled Rockets
March 11, 2026
March 16, 2026, marks 100 years since Dr. Robert H. Goddard launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket. Over the past century, new and ever more capable liquid-fueled rockets have literally propelled humanity into space. Why liquid-fueled rockets?