New Satellites to keep watch over space-based systems.

• Jurisdiction: United States
• Date: 01 June 2009
• Author: Magnuson, Stew
• Published date: 01 June 2009
• Author: Magnuson, Stew

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Two new satellites may be launched later this year that will help the U.S. defense community better understand what is happening to the multi-million dollar spacecraft it depends on for communications, remote sensing, eavesdropping and navigation.

The largest of the two satellites, the space-based space surveillance system, will travel in low-earth orbit and peer up at satellites in the geo-synchronous belt, which is about 24,000 miles above the earth. It is also where most communications satellites loiter in fixed positions.

Fred Doyle, vice president at Ball Aerospace's national defense business unit, said the SBSS spacecraft will allow the Air Force to keep track of its own assets as well as keep an eye on those of other nations. Ball partnered with Boeing to build the satellite.

The Air Force currently uses ground-based radar to track objects in space. This Cold War era system was initially used to search for incoming missiles from the Soviet Union. Most of the stations are configured to search the northern hemisphere. Even if there were more ground stations, that would leave large swaths of the...