Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $1.8 billion contract to build the five-satellite geostationary orbit Space Based Infra Red System (SBIRS) missile early-warning fleet, which will be launched in 2006.
One ground spare will also be built. The satellites will be based on the Lockheed Martin A2100 spacecraft bus which is now being offered to communications satellite customers.
The SBIRS will replace the TRW-built Defence Space System (DSP). TRW was teamed with Hughes for the contract bid.
Lockheed Martin's SBIRS partner Aerojet - which is teamed with TRW on DSP - will also supply sensor equipment which will be flown on two complementary elliptical-orbiting satellites, a manufacturer for which has yet to be selected. Lockheed Martin will also build the SBIRS ground station, to be completed in 1999.
Rockwell, with Lockheed Martin, is building a $176 million low-Earth-orbit SBIRS technology satellite. This will use the LM/700 spacecraft bus built for the Motorola Iridium satellite system.
Source: Flight International
