The full US satellite constellation is in orbit to locate missiles

The United Launch Alliance launched its sixth Space Based Infrared System Geosynchronous Earth Orbit satellite on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022, according to TEMPO.CO, Nation World News. 

This Earth-based Missile Launch Detection Satellite complements the SBIRS GEO constellation for Space System Command.  The United States external forces spacecraft was already in orbit.

A rocket carrying the satellite was named Atlas V. It was launched from Cape Canaveral Space Station in Florida at 6:29 a.m. This is the local time for Cape Canaveral. Approximately four minutes after launch, the first booster rocket took off, leaving SBIRS GEO-6 in the Centaur section.

In the immediate future, Centaur will launch SBIRS GEO-6 into orbit. A ballistic missile tracking constellation will be completed by the satellite, which will join five other satellites in geostationary orbit, approximately 22,200 miles above Earth. 

He is responsible for detecting threats around the world. With each satellite located at a different location, SBIRS GEO offers extensive surveillance coverage.

The launch of SBIRS GEO-6 closes the last gap in the satellite series and concludes the development phase of SBIRS, according to the US Space Force. 

As part of the new advanced suite of satellite observation technologies, satellites will provide infrared surveillance that will aid in missile warning systems, missile defense, combat space awareness, and technical intelligence.

The new satellite was built by the defense contractor Lockheed Martin using the LM 2100 combat bus. As with GEO-5, SBIRS GEO-5 will also be built on the LM 2100 platform, but GEO-6 will have a special upgrade.

The LM 2100 Combat Bus has a height of over 3.7 meters and features electronics upgrades for SBIRS GEO-5 and 6 as well as mobility and surveillance capabilities.

A senior content lead for Delta's Strategic Missile Warning Acquisition SSC, Colonel Daniel Walter, described the satellite as the first line of defense, providing early warning, launch detection, and notification of missile launches.

The SBIRS GEO-1 was launched in 2011 and its four siblings from 2013 to 2021 were launched sequentially. SBIRS GEO-6 ended this series of launches and technology has begun to develop for the next-generation SSC Missile Detection System.

The Next Generation Persistent Geosynchronous Overhead Earth Orbit System replaces the SBIRS GEO constellation by initially upgrading it and eventually replacing it.

As well as inheriting its predecessor's capabilities, the next-generation OPIR will also be able to warn against 'emerging counter-space and missile threats.' These include hypersonic weapons like the Kinjal missile, which Russian state media announced in 2018.

A Wide Field of View satellite was also launched last month by an Atlas V rocket. This satellite is the first orbital test for the next-generation OPIR program and is expected to be operational until the first OPIR satellite is launched around 2025.