According to the Air Force and prime contractor Lockheed Martin, the second highly elliptical orbit payload in the Space Based Infrared System constellation has passed its on-orbit checkout successfully. The HEO-2, states a June 20 company release, “meets or exceeds specifications.” Executive VP of Lockheed’s Space Systems Company, Joanne Maguire, said, “The second HEO sensor is performing as advertised and we are delighted for our Air Force customer.” As overseer of payload integration, Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems President Jim Pitts declared that HEO-2 is “providing the same revolutionary capability as the first sensor,” meaning SBIRS is offering “persistent surveillance of the northern hemisphere.” Officials at the Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles AFB, Calif., said HEO-2 is delivering about 10 times better sensitivity and up to five times faster revisit capability as the legacy Defense Support Program satellites. HEO-2 must undergo further engineering testing over the next several months, but they expect that missile warning alerts from HEO-1 will join the DSP messaging provided to warfighters by September. (LAAFB release)
B-21 Bomber Shelter May Reveal Size of Secret Jet
March 3, 2021
The Air Force may have inadvertently revealed the size of the secret B-21 bomber with the release of an image of a temporary shelter for the airplane. The service is evaluating several designs for temporary shelters for everyday use and deployment to temporary operating locations. If the B-21 fully fits…