The U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA) has tasked Raytheon Technologies with building a new constellation of low-earth-orbit satellites to monitor missile launches. The arrangement, valued at US$250 million, encompasses the design, development, and delivery of seven spacecraft, their launch into orbit, and the establishment of the supporting ground-control infrastructure. The effort is described as the fifth tier of SDA’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) for missile launch detection and tracking, reflecting a layered approach to surveillance and response. (Source: SDA program brief, attribution acknowledged.)
Raytheon indicates that the satellites will leverage Blue Canyon Technologies’ Saturn microsatellite platforms to speed up constellation formation. Each satellite will carry a wide-area infrared sensor developed by Raytheon and a SEAKR Engineering electronics payload, intended to provide robust sensing and processing capabilities across a broad geographic footprint. (Source: company release, attribution acknowledged.)
Earlier reporting has noted a collaborative effort between the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the Space Development Agency (SDA) to assemble elements of a hypersonic missile defense system designed to counter potential threats from Russian and Chinese hypersonic platforms, including missiles such as Zircon. The described initiative envisions multiple satellite layers and various interceptor programs integrated within the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) to detect and assess missile launches. (Source: defense-industry brief, attribution acknowledged.)
One of the central technical challenges highlighted in discussions of hypersonic threat detection is the relatively low flight altitude that such weapons may employ. Conventional radar setups may struggle to attain timely detection, limiting the window for effective engagement. Additionally, the highly maneuverable nature of hypersonic craft can complicate trajectory prediction and interceptor guidance, requiring rapid processing, flexible sensor fusion, and responsive command-and-control systems. (Source: defense analysis, attribution acknowledged.)