Hi-Res Imagery Across Wide Areas
An L3Harris Technologies IR instrument set to launch on 30 June will significantly improve the ability to capture high-resolution imagery and other important battlefield information from space – a critical capability for US future missile defence efforts.
L3Harris is providing the instrument as part of a wide-field-of-view satellite that also will help inform future space-based missile defence missions and architectures. The satellite will be positioned 22,000 miles from Earth, enabling the infrared system to see a wide swath and patrol a large area for potential missile launches. “The L3Harris instrument can stare continuously at a theater of interest to provide ongoing information about the battlespace, which is an improvement over legacy systems […] It also provides better resolution, sensitivity and target discrimination at a lower cost,” commented Ed Zoiss, President, Space & Airborne Systems.
The instrument was built for Space Systems Command and is integrated into a Millennium Space Systems satellite. The payload, over six feet tall and weighing over 365lbs, was developed in Wilmington, MA. L3Harris is prioritising investments in space-based missile defence programmes, and has accelerated development of resilient, end-to-end satellite solutions in spacecraft, payloads and ground software, as well as advanced algorithms.
In a related effort, the US Missile Defense Agency awarded L3Harris a missile-tracking study contract in 2019, followed by the prototype demonstration in January 2021. In December 2020, the Space Development Agency selected L3Harris to build and launch four space vehicles to demonstrate the capability to detect and track ballistic and hypersonic missiles.