[09-10-07 – Satellite Today] Lockheed Martin has successfully mated the spacecraft bus and the payload for the first Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) geosynchronous orbit (GEO-1) satellite, the company announced Sept. 10.

The system, which will provide early warning of ballistic missile launches, as well as supporting other missions including missile defense, technical intelligence and battlespace awareness, will be launched in 2009. The GEO-1 bus is the structural foundation of the satellite and includes an integrated propulsion system as well as other critical subsystems for communications, attitude control, thermal control, command and data handling.

The GEO payloads feature a scanning sensor that will provide for short revisit times over its full field of view and a staring sensor that can be tasked for step-stare or dedicated stare operations over smaller areas. The GEO scanner and other payload components such as the focal plane assembly, and processing algorithms are identical to those used on SBIRS highly elliptical orbit (HEO) payloads, the first of which has completed initial on-orbit deployment and checkout and demonstrated that its performance meets or exceeds specifications, Lockheed Martin said.

The company is under contract to provide two HEO payloads and two GEO satellites to the SBIRS Wing at the Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles Air Force Base.