WASHINGTON \u2014 Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has won a $446.8 million contract from the U.S. Space Force to build and operate the ground system for a new constellation of missile-warning satellites in medium Earth orbit.<\/p>\n
The contract covers ground management and integration for the service\u2019s Resilient Missile Warning and Tracking program, according to a March 19 statement from Space Systems Command.<\/p>\n
Kratos will provide the systems used to operate the satellites after launch, including sending commands, receiving sensor data and processing that information for delivery to military operators.<\/p>\n
The work supports a constellation being deployed in phases. The first 12 satellites, known as Epoch 1, are being built by Millennium Space Systems, a Boeing subsidiary. A second set of 10 satellites, called Epoch 2, is under contract to BAE Systems. Launches are expected over the next several years.<\/p>\n
The satellites are designed to detect and track missile launches, from intercontinental ballistic missiles to harder-to-follow hypersonic weapons that can maneuver during flight. The data they collect will feed into the broader U.S. missile defense architecture.<\/p>\n
The Space Force is adding satellites in medium Earth orbit as part of a shift toward a layered missile-warning network. Systems in geosynchronous orbit have long provided early warning of missile launches, while a newer layer of satellites in low Earth orbit is being developed to improve tracking of dimmer, maneuvering targets.<\/p>\n
Medium Earth orbit sits between those regimes, offering wider coverage than low Earth orbit while providing better viewing angles than geosynchronous systems for tracking objects flying through the upper atmosphere.<\/p>\n