Space Surveillance and Tracking System

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There are very few or no other articles that link to this one.
Please help introduce links in articles on related topics. After links have been created, remove this message.
This article has been tagged since November 2006.

The Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS) will consist of low-orbiting infrared satellites designed to detect and track ballistic missiles in all stages of flight. Data from STSS will allow U.S. interceptors to engage enemy missiles as early as possible in their trajectories and discriminate between warheads and decoys.

Once deployed, STSS will have the responsibility of tracking enemy missiles against the cold background of space, one of the biggest challenges of ballistic missile defense. Not only will STSS succeed at this task, it will observe its targets with great detail. To accomplish this mission, each satellite will consist of three main components: a wide-view acquisition sensor, a narrow-view tracking sensor, and a signal and data processor subsystem.

The first two STSS satellites are scheduled for deployment in 2007. Although these satellites will provide little, if any, operational capability, MDA plans to expand STSS to at least 18 satellites in order to cover key threat regions such as Asia and the Middle East. STSS will achieve worldwide coverage once 30 satellites are deployed.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../s/p/a/Space_Surveillance_and_Tracking_System_e9af.html"