The U.S. Just May Beat Russia in Militarizing Space
U.S. Hypersonic Missile Defense System Is Coming Together Nicely… in Space
The Missile Defense Agency and the Space Development Agency have successfully deployed six satellites to keep an eye on the U.S. satellites in case of a rogue Hypersonic missile.
- Two satellites dedicated to MDA’s Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor focus on tracking hypersonic and ballistic missiles during their boost phase.
- The final four satellites of the SDA’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.
The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the Space Development Agency (SDA) have successfully launched all six satellites into Low Earth Orbit.
Aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9, the federal agencies placed into orbit:
- Two satellites for MDA’s Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS)
- Four satellites for SDA’s Tranche 0 Tracking Layer
The first two satellites focus on missile defense, tracking hypersonic and ballistic missiles during their boost phase. They also provide fire control quality data essential for defeating advanced missile threats, which is crucial to staying ahead of adversaries.
The other four are part of the initial phase of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). The PWSA is a planned constellation of hundreds of small low-cost satellites in low Earth orbit. Using a combination of wide-view infrared sensors, laser inter-satellite communications, and tactical radio links, the SDA’s PWSA constellation seeks to counter the threats posed by hypersonic missiles. The four that have been deployed now are pathfinders for the larger PWSA constellation.
The full-scale deployment comes after the researchers have validated their concept. Engineers from MDA and SDA will make sure the satellites work flawlessly with current missile defense systems during the protracted testing and evaluation phase.
The announcement and subsequent launch coincided with Representative Michael R. Turner releasing a statement calling for the declassification of the recent intelligence report. That report centered around Russia’s space-based nuclear-advanced weapons. You can read all about that mess here.
For years now, world governments have been in a space race with each other. But now they are rushing to militarize space before the others. Call the Americans paranoid all you want, but they, along with the Russians and the Chinese, are most likely to wage a war on the ground, in the sky, and in outer space. They have the money, the time, and the skill for it. And considering how much of our communications rely on satellites, anything that happens to them translates to disasters on the ground. This is giving “mutually assured destruction” a whole new meaning.
Are we seriously watching a live game of chicken between world governments to see who’ll violate the Outer Space Treaty first?
Inside Telecom provides you with an extensive list of content covering all aspects of the tech industry. Keep an eye on our Tech sections to stay informed and up-to-date with our daily articles.