Air Force SBIRS GEO-1 satellite on track for certification

The Air Force's Space Based Infrared System geosynchronous (GEO-1) satellite is on schedule to achieve operational certification later in 2012, SBIRS-builder Lockheed Martin said in an early June news release.

The Lockheed Martin-built SBIRS satellite launched May 7 and is currently sharing GEO-1 satellite data, the story said. An assessment of interim mission performance results show that GEO-1 already demonstrates the ability to meet more than 90 percent of Air Force Space Command's performance requirements for operational use, and the remaining performance refinements are on track to be completed before the satellite is fully certified for operations by U.S. Strategic Command later this year, the story said.

SBIRS GEO-1 satellite data is used to enhance the military’s ability to detect missile launches around the globe, support the nation's ballistic missile defense system, greatly expand technical intelligence gathering capabilities, and bolster situational awareness for warfighters on the battlefield, the story said.