El Proyecto de la Agencia de Defensa de Misiles (MDA) propone sat\u00e9lites con sensores espaciales de seguimiento bal\u00edstico e hipers\u00f3nico que proporcionar\u00edan seguimiento continuo para permitir la defensa desde tierra, mar o aire. Espec\u00edficamente, la MDA est\u00e1 desarrollando el sensor espacial de seguimiento hipers\u00f3nico y bal\u00edstico, en\u00a0respuesta al r\u00e1pido desarrollo de armas hipers\u00f3nicas de China y Rusia.<\/p>\n
As the Space Development Agency\u00a0moves forward with plans<\/a>\u00a0for missile tracking and warning satellites, the Missile Defense Agency hopes to add its own satellites to that architecture, the agency\u2019s director told a congressional panel May 11.<\/p>\n Vice Adm. Jon A. Hill\u2019s comments to the House Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee came as the Pentagon has placed increasing emphasis on\u00a0missile tracking and\u00a0<\/a>warning<\/a>\u00a0from space<\/a>\u00a0in response to China and Russia\u2019s rapid development of hypersonic weapons.<\/p>\n Specifically, MDA is developing the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor, a program\u00a0intended<\/a>\u00a0to work<\/a>\u00a0with SDA\u2019s satellites to track hypersonic and ballistic missiles<\/p>\n The HBTSS has \u201ctwo major roles,\u201d Hill told Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.).<\/p>\n \u201cThe first is to pick up the dim targets that cannot be seen by the current architecture today. So, from a ballistic perspective, we\u2019re seeing changes there that make that fight much more challenging,\u201d Hill said. \u201cBut when you get to the advanced hypersonic threat, which has a global maneuver capability, we need the ability to see it from space\u2014so global coverage and that very close proximity from space to track those sensors.\u201d<\/p>\n Two prototypes of the HBTSS are scheduled to launch in March 2023, Hill added, and will be placed in orbit so that they can \u201cmonitor tests\u201d in the Indo-Pacific region, though he didn\u2019t specify what tests.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll collect that data as a way to proof out that concept. We did a lot of work on the ground to show that we can extract those hot targets over a warm Earth. Now it\u2019s about getting it into space and pulling that data down,\u201d Hill said.<\/p>\n MDA\u2019s plans for missile tracking are progressing alongside SDA\u2019s work to develop and deploy a \u201cTracking Layer\u201d as part of its large planned multi-use satellite constellation. SDA has already awarded contracts for the initial batch of satellites, called \u201cTranche 0,\u201d and the layer could go\u00a0live in low-Earth orbit as soon as 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n Both the Tracking Layer and the HBTSS are intended for low Earth orbit. And as SDA is scheduled to transition into the Space Force in October 2022, the three organizations are working together to advance the larger missile tracking mission.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re staying very close to the Space Force as we make decisions on the overall architecture, and our vision is that the HBTSS will be a part of the overall constellation for dealing with that global maneuvering threat,\u201d Hill said.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, U.S. Space Command is eager for all these systems to come onboard, its deputy commander, Lt. Gen. John E. Shaw, told Congress.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re interested in any capabilities that are going to help us with any of these threats,\u201d said Shaw. \u201cAnd as MDA has pursued this particular program, HBTSS, the advantage of this is that we have a perspective from space that is invaluable and will allow us to get after a lot of these threats.\u201d<\/p>\n