Millennium Space Systems has concluded the Missile Track Custody Program Design Review for the Space Systems Command.
With the completion of this milestone in only four months, the initiative remains on track for Critical Design Review in the fourth quarter, the El Segundo, California-based company announced on Wednesday.
During a testimony with the House Armed Services Committee’s strategic forces subcommittee on April 26, Frank Calvelli, assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration, called the MTC program an “outstanding effort building small sats in medium Earth orbit.”
“We’re clearly demonstrating we can design, build and test systems in shorter time frames on schedule,” said Millennium Space Systems CEO Jason Kim.
“In the PDR, our team demonstrated sound technological understanding of mission needs and requirements, including the space and ground segments and how launch plays into those,” he added.
Using its ALTAIR spacecraft — a product Millennium Space Systems has continuously invested in since 2015 — and efficient manufacturing practices, the organization was reportedly able to minimize risk and move quickly throughout the process.
Millennium Space Systems is now focusing on the detailed design phase to prepare for CDR. The digital model will function as the single source of truth for the project.
The MTC program aligns with Calvelli’s push for smaller, proliferated and resilient systems across multiple mission areas. In his testimony, Calvelli cited the move away from legacy missile warning architectures to a resilient missile warning architecture in order to improve missile threat tracking as an example of this work.
Currently, Millennium Space Systems is contracted for MTC space vehicle one with options for two additional space vehicles that the company expects to be exercised. Millennium Space Systems also anticipates an additional contract for vehicles four, five and six in quarter four.
