Northrop Grumman’s Missile-Warning Satellites for Next-Gen Polar Program Advance to Manufacturing
The Phase 2 contract for the Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared Polar program will continue manufacturing, assembly, integration and testing of the space vehicles and ground systems. Credit: Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has been awarded a contract extension for Phase 2 of its Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared Polar (NGP) program from the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command. The multi-year award supports space vehicle (SV) manufacturing, assembly, integration, testing, and launch of two NGP satellites. Both NGP SVs will operate in Highly Elliptical Orbits (HEO) to detect and track ballistic and hypersonic missiles over the Northern Hemisphere.
The NGP Phase 2 award moves the program into manufacturing, assembly, integration and testing of the space vehicles and ground systems.
The award follows successful completion of the program’s Ground Critical Design Review and Program Critical Integration Review this summer.
Using advanced infrared sensors, NGP will provide coverage of the North Polar region to address a wide range of missiles that adversaries continue to amass, test, field, and modernize. The fastest path for missile threats to the homeland is via routes in the Northern Hemisphere, and NGP will guarantee these threats will be detected and responded to.
James Flynn, program manager, Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared Polar, Northrop Grumman said: “Phase 2 confirms NGP is on schedule to deliver 24/7 resilient missile warning coverage of the Northern Hemisphere and highlights our commitment to preserve an important component of the space-based nuclear command, control and communications architecture. Our higher-resolution threat detection technology and unprecedented wideband communications will provide warfighters and combatant commands with more resilient space capabilities, and strengthens the nation’s missile defense, technical intelligence, and battlespace awareness missions to counter emerging and advanced missile technologies.”
NGP will succeed the legacy Space-Based Infrared Systems (SBIRS) Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) hosted payload program and will have the advanced capability needed to pinpoint targets anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere, offering protection in the most contested environments. Once a threat is detected, NGP’s resilient communication system will transmit data to ground stations, allowing for faster and more informed decisions.