The fifth Space Based Infrared System Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (SBIRS GEO-5) satellite built by Lockheed Martin has been operationally accepted by the US Space Force less than a year after being launched into orbit.
The Space Force announced on Friday that its Space Operations Command accepted SBIRS GEO-5 as operationally capable and has presented it to the US Space Command for operational use. The satellite is now being operated by the Space Delta’s 2d Space Warning Squadron (2 SWS) at Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado.
According to Lockheed Martin, the early missile warning satellite completed all on-orbit testing with accelerated analysis.
“SBIRS GEO-5 exceeded performance expectations during on-orbit testing,” Michael Corriea, Lockheed Martin OPIR Mission Area Vice President, said. “With the declaration of operational acceptance less than a year from launch, the LM 2100-built GEO-5 completed all on-orbit testing and analysis 40% faster compared to GEO-1 through GEO-4 average testing times.”
SBIRS GEO-5 launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, on May 18, 2021, marking the first military satellite launch of Lockheed Martin’s LM2100 Combat Bus. Since launch, experts from Lockheed Martin, contract manager Space Systems Command and Space Operations Command’s Delta 4 have been completing checks to ensure the nation’s newest and most-capable missile warning satellite is ready to be added to the US’ missile warning and missile defence architecture.
“The addition of SBIRS GEO-5 to our fleet of spacecraft will improve our nation’s missile warning, missile defense, battlespace awareness and technical intelligence capabilities,” Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, Commander of Space Operations Command, said. “The security of our nation, our allies and our fielded forces depends on SBIRS and our Guardians every day.”
SBIRS GEO-6, the final planned satellite in the SBIRS GEO series, will launch later this year.
The two new SBIRS Combat Bus satellites will join the Space Force’s constellation of missile warning satellites, equipped with powerful infrared surveillance sensors. These sensors collect data that allow the US military to detect missile launches, support ballistic missile defence, expand technical intelligence gathering and bolster situational awareness on the battlefield.