Northrop Grumman has completed acoustic testing of the two space tracking and surveillance system demonstration satellites that it is building for the Missile Defense Agency, the company announced yesterday. The testing, which took place at the company’s acoustic test facility in Redondo Beach, Calif., simulated their planned tandem launch configuration on a Delta II booster. Gabe Watson, vice president and STSS program manager for the company’s Space Technology sector said completion of the tests is a “key milestone” en route to having the satellites ready for shipment to the launch site later this year. Once on orbit, MDA will assess the satellites’ ability to detect and track ballistic missiles and function as part of a multilayered missile defense architecture. The company validated performance of the STSS ground segment last year.
The Pentagon has approved more military teams to deploy to mass COVID-19 vaccination centers as the push to vaccinate the public grows. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III on March 4 approved 10 more teams to deploy to help the Federal Emergency Management Agency run the vaccination sites, bringing the…