A satellite that Boeing’s Millennium Space Systems subsidiary built for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command to help track hypersonic missiles and provide missile warning capabilities received “first light” data from its sensor.
The command said Monday the sensor data that will be collected by the Wide Field of View Geosynchronous Earth Orbit demonstration satellite will enable the service to detect reentry vehicles and fast-moving missiles to help improve technical intelligence and battlespace awareness.
“We are very excited for this milestone as we continue to march towards WFOV joining the family of contributing sensors to the missile warning architecture,” said Col. Heather Bogstie, senior material leader for SSC Space Sensing Directorate.
SSC and the Tools, Applications and Processing Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, initiated and completed the calibration for the spacecraft.
“WFOV and the team at the TAP Lab are key contributors to the pivot of missile warning/missile tracking, as it will enhance data exploitation and streamline test and certification of non-traditional sensors into the architecture. This will enable the network to transmit validated data to the warfighter faster than with traditional sensors,” Bogstie added.
In August, WFOV went online a month after launching aboard a United Launch Alliance-made rocket. The space vehicle comes with an infrared sensor payload built by L3Harris Technologies.
