Space Force awards Lockheed Martin $4.9 billion for missile warning satellites

WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin secured $4.9 billion to build three missile warning satellites for the U.S. Space Force, according to a Jan. 4 announcement.

The company already received $2.9 billion in 2018 to begin work on the satellites, which will be part of the Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next Gen OPIR) system. That contract covered development through critical design review, completed in October 2020. With that step finished, the program was ready to move forward with manufacturing the satellites.

RELATED

The Space Force’s next missile warning satellite is ready for a 2021 launch

The fifth geosynchronous satellite in the Space Based Infrared System constellation is officially complete and ready for its 2021 launch, according to the U.S. Space Force.

By Nathan Strout

Next Gen OPIR is being built to replace the Space-Based Infrared System, the nation’s premier missile warning constellation. The new constellation will be made up of five satellites: three in geosynchronous orbit and two covering the polar regions. The Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) has selected Lockheed Martin to contribute the former, while Northrop Grumman will provide the latter.

The Space Force awarded Northrop Grumman a $2.4 billion contract modification in May for phase one design and development, procurement of critical flight hardware and risk-reduction efforts leading to critical design review.

The two infrared sensors under development for Next Gen OPIR passed their preliminary design review in May. Those sensors are being developed by Raytheon Technologies and Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems working with Ball Aerospace.

The U.S. Air Force has worked to shift more money to the Next Gen OPIR program in recent years in an effort to ensure the first satellite is delivered in 2025. That’s required more money up front, which the Air Force has shifted to the program through a number of reprogramming requests, a source of division between competing versions of the annual defense budgets in the House and Senate. But SMC credited that reprogramming with keeping Next Gen OPIR on track.

“While the program acceleration to meet this threat head on created a near-term funding shortfall, Congress’ support of the DoD’s $161M reprogramming request has kept the program on track, and I am confident we will close the remaining shortfall in FY20 to enable delivery of our first satellite in 2025,” Col. Dennis Bythewood, SMC’s program executive officer for space development, said in October.

More In Space

Space Operations Command preps for new shared domain awareness tool

The remaining ATLAS software is slated for delivery in the first quarter of 2025.

New US Space Force jammers aim to disrupt China’s SATCOM signals

The Remote Modular Terminals, which disrupt adversary satellites by "yelling in their ear," as one official put it, are cleared for initial fielding,

Space Force must grow to counter China and Russia, lawmaker says

House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., said the service is not sized to meet increasing threats from China and Russia.

SpaceX launches rapid response GPS mission

The effort, dubbed Rapid Response Trailblazer, was meant to demonstrate the ability to quickly plan and launch a mission in around six months.

Space Command strategy aims to boost commercial role in operations

The updated strategy, approved in November, focuses on SPACECOM’s core tasks and how commercial space capabilities fit within those areas.