TRW HAS BEEN selected by the US Air Force to design the Brilliant Eyes space- and missile-tracking system. The Brilliant Eyes is the low-Earth-orbiting component of the planned Space-Based Infra-Red System (SBIRS), the follow-on to current ballistic-missile early-warning satellites.
TRW Space & Electronics Group will design the spacecraft and ground station. Teammate Hughes Aircraft will be responsible for the sensor payload and data processing. TRW's Brilliant Eyes contract is worth $249 million. Hughes has also teamed with TRW for the SBIRS high component.
The contract includes an option to build two satellites and launch them in September 1998, to demonstrate the value of an SBIRS low-Earth-orbiting component. Brilliant Eyes satellites will carry with two sensors: a boost-phase acquisition sensor with wide field of view using short-wave infra-red detectors; and a mid-course tracking sensor with high-resolution medium-wave and medium/long-wave infra-red and visible detectors.
Source: Flight International