La Agencia de Defensa de Misiles de EUA (MDA) seleccion\u00f3 dos compa\u00f1\u00edas para construir sensores prototipo capaces de rastrear armas hipers\u00f3nicas desde el espacio. Se trata de L3Harris y Northrop Grumman que crear\u00e1n los prototipos del sensor espacial hipers\u00f3nico y bal\u00edstico de seguimiento requerido. El desarrollo consistir\u00e1 en una constelaci\u00f3n de sat\u00e9lites de \u00f3rbita baja del tipo LEO ( Low Earth Orbit), capaces de\u00a0 detectar las amenazas desde los instantes iniciales de su lanzamiento y estar\u00e1n enlazados\u00a0 con otras constelaciones de sat\u00e9lites operando en \u00f3rbitas\u00a0a mayor altura en el espacio.<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON \u2014 The Missile Defense Agency selected two companies to build prototype sensors capable of tracking hypersonic weapons from space.<\/p>\n
L3Harris and Northrop Grumman will create the prototypes for the agency\u2019s Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor. L3Harris won a $122 million award Jan. 14<\/a>, while Northrop Grumman received a $155 million award Jan. 22.<\/p>\n In tandem with the Space Development Agency\u2019s tracking layer, the HBTSS constellation is the Pentagon\u2019s answer to hypersonic weapons<\/a>, which are too dim to effectively track with current sensors in geostationary orbit and can potentially avoid terrestrial sensors. The constellation will be closer to the planet\u2019s surface in low Earth orbit, allowing sensors to more easily see the dimmer threat.<\/p>\n However, being closer to the Earth\u2019s surface results in a far narrower field of view for each satellite. In order to get worldwide coverage, the Pentagon is pursuing a proliferated constellation made up of dozens of satellites. SDA\u2019s tracking layer satellites will initially pick up a threat, with each satellite tracking the weapon and then passing off custody to the next satellite as the weapon leaves its field of view. Ultimately, the threat will be passed on to the more sensitive HBTSS, which can provide targeting data.<\/p>\n \u201cThe combination of high speed, maneuverability and relatively low altitude of some of the emerging advanced missile threats makes them challenging targets for our current missile defense systems,\u201d the agency said in a statement. \u201cHBTSS is needed, since we cannot populate the Earth and the oceans with terrestrial radars to meet this need. The \u2018birth-to-death\u2019 tracking that HBTSS can provide when integrated with terrestrial sensors will make it possible to maintain custody of missile threats from launch through intercept regardless of location.\u201d<\/p>\n