Nichols Martin
Space Systems Command has completed the critical design review of a new Lockheed Martin-made infrared-based satellite intended for use in geosynchronous Earth orbit.
SSC said Tuesday it held the Block 0 GEO system CDR of the Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared program from Oct. 26 to 28.
Lockheed designed Next-Gen OPIR to globally deliver missile warning in case of threats, including those that may affect space and cyber assets.
Next-Gen OPIR will replace the existing Space-Based Infrared System satellites currently used for space surveillance. The new satellites will combine Lockheed’s 2100 common satellite bus with a new OPIR sensor, and operate with SSC’s Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution or FORGE ground system.
“[The design review] shows that both the space vehicle and essential ground data processing elements are sufficiently mature to continue our launch planning efforts and builds confidence this program will deliver essential capabilities to the warfighter to counter the aggressive actions from U.S. adversaries,” said Col. Daniel Walter, program manager of the Next-Gen OPIR space program.
The CDR concluded 41 individual design reviews of Next-Gen OPIR’s mission payload, subsystems and ground system.
Lockheed won a $2.9 billion contract in August 2018 to develop Next-Gen OPIR and secured a $4.9 billion modification in January this year for the production of three Block 0 satellites.
