After 10 years of development and billions of dollars of cost overrun, the Pentagon is beginning to gain confidence in progress on its $11 billion next-generation space-based missile warning system. Testing on the first geosynchronous Space-Based Infrared System (Sbirs) satellite at Lockheed Martin's Sunnyvale, Calif., manufacturing facility is continuing as officials there await delivery of its payload this summer. Northrop Grumman, which builds the Sbirs sensors, is also continuing tests on the GEO-1 payload at its plant in Asuza, Calif. Pictured here is the GEO-1 bus in the thermal vacuum chamber in Sunnyvale. It completed the test cycle earlier this year. Below the jump (click on "Continue reading...") is the Northrop Grumman sensor. This photo is taken from the front of the sensor, and the two lenses – one each for an infrared scanning sensor and staring sensor – are shown. For details about progress with Sbirs and new infrared imagery of a satellite boosting into orbit captured from the first Sbirs sensor in space, read the article on page 24 of the June 4 edition of Aviation Week & Space Technology.

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This photo is taken from the front of the sensor, and the two lenses – one each for an infrared scanning sensor and staring sensor – are shown.
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