Air Force space officials and their industry partners have successfully completed the critical design review for the third and fourth Space Based Infrared Systems geosynchronous satellites. This means that the Air Force has approved the design of GEO-3/GEO-4 and that prime contractor Lockheed Martin may begin transitioning its work on these two satellites to production. “We are ready to start producing the next set of satellites,” said Col Scott Larrimore, SBIRS Space Group commander at Los Angeles AFB, Calif. GEO-3 and GEO-4 will be “near clones” of the first two SBIRS satellites, GEO-1 and GEO-2, which are not yet on orbit. There will be minor changes, such as a different star tracker and components to replace now-obsolete parts in the GEO-1/GEO-2 design. The launch of GEO-3 is anticipated in late 2014. The CDR for the GEO-3/GEO-4 payloads took place last November. (Los Angeles release)
Details Murky as ARRW Falls Short in Second Test
March 24, 2023
The second all-up flight of the AGM-183A ARRW hypersonic missile apparently fell short of expectations, but the AIr Force isn't saying how, reporting only that the test met "several of the objectives" of the test. Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control recently said he company is "ready to go" to…