{"id":586637,"date":"2026-07-15T09:03:38","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T09:03:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/586637\/"},"modified":"2026-07-15T09:03:38","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T09:03:38","slug":"us-space-force-turns-to-satellite-to-track-hypersonic-missiles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/586637\/","title":{"rendered":"US Space Force turns to satellite to track hypersonic missiles"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">L3Harris Technologies has received a contract from the US Space Force\u2019s Space Development Agency to produce 18 Accelerated Missile Defense Tranche 3 satellites.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The satellites, known as AMDT3 spacecraft, will support Golden Dome for America\u2019s space-based capabilities. According to L3Harris, they will enhance national security by detecting and tracking advanced missile threats.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cL3Harris\u2019 continued work in Indiana will deliver the next generation of space-based tracking capabilities that we need to protect the homeland and stay ahead of our adversaries,\u201d said Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis is exactly the kind of industrial investment that strengthens deterrence,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Satellites to carry medium-field-of-view payloads<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">L3Harris said the AMDT3 satellites will be equipped with medium-field-of-view payloads designed to provide fire control quality data for missile defense.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The company said the spacecraft will support efforts focused on threats from hypersonic and ballistic weapons.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe are proud to provide next-generation technology that will accelerate the nation\u2019s ability to defend against emerging threats from hypersonic and ballistic weapons,\u201d said Christopher Kubasik, Chairman and CEO at L3Harris.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAs the industry\u2019s Trusted Disruptor, L3Harris invested ahead of need by expanding production facilities and is ready to deliver missile defense satellites to support this national priority,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.l3harris.com\/newsroom\/press-release\/2026\/07\/us-space-force-selects-l3harris-provide-advanced-tracking-satellites\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">he said.<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">L3Harris has expanded its space manufacturing facility in Indiana and established a new satellite integration facility in Florida.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The company said it will immediately begin manufacturing the AMDT3 satellites for delivery and launch of the tactical payloads.<\/p>\n<p>Golden Dome\u2019s layered defense<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Golden Dome is a planned next-generation, layered defense system intended to protect the US homeland against ballistic, hypersonic and advanced cruise missile threats, as well as other aerial attacks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The system is expected to combine technologies operating across land, sea and space. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The US Department of Defense has said its architecture will include space-based sensors and interceptors, with its different components integrated into a broader missile-defense network.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The L3Harris satellites will contribute to the space-based tracking capabilities within that planned architecture.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The planned architecture includes space-based sensors capable of detecting and tracking incoming threats, as well as space-based interceptors. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Existing American air- and missile-defense technologies may also be incorporated, although the Pentagon has said the various systems will have to be integrated seamlessly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Initial investments include additional missile interceptors, advanced sensors, integrated command-and-control systems and the development of new interception capabilities, including systems based in space.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The L3Harris satellites would support the tracking portion of this broader architecture by providing data on advanced missile threats from orbit.<\/p>\n<p>Contract follows HBTSS demonstration<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The contract builds on L3Harris\u2019 work on the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor program.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The firm previously developed an HBTSS satellite and an infrared sensor payload for the Missile Defense Agency. The company said the satellite and payload completed a successful on-orbit demonstration.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">L3Harris has more than 70 missile tracking and defense satellites on order, including five already in orbit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The company\u2019s work spans the Missile Defense Agency\u2019s HBTSS program and the Space Development Agency\u2019s Tracking Layer across Tranche 0, Tranche 1, Tranche 2, and Tranche 3.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/interestingengineering.com\/military\/us-army-awards-l3harris-radio-contract\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"dofollow noopener\">The contract<\/a> highlights how space-based tracking is becoming increasingly central to the United States\u2019 evolving missile defense priorities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"L3Harris Technologies has received a contract from the US Space Force\u2019s Space Development Agency to produce 18 Accelerated&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":586638,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[270],"tags":[51275,18,19,17,31552,6144,133,451,107],"class_list":["post-586637","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-space","tag-constellations","tag-eire","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-missiles","tag-satellites","tag-science","tag-space","tag-us"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116923190705809129","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/586637","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=586637"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/586637\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/586638"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=586637"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=586637"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=586637"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}