Article Posted on : - Sep 23, 2011

CALIFORNIA (BNS): Northrop Grumman will perform manufacturing and production readiness systems engineering for the US Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) Precision Tracking Space System (PTSS).

The company has received a contract from the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), for the PTSS Integrated Systems Engineering Team (ISET).

Northrop Grumman is also working on the future space-borne sensor of the Ballistic Missile Defence System (BMDS) project with APL, which is designed to track ballistic missiles shortly after launch and through midcourse.

"The STSS satellites currently are participating in integrated BMDS testing, meeting all test objectives and providing significant risk reduction for a future missile defence operational constellation," Doug Young, vice president, missile defence and warning, for Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems sector in Redondo Beach, said.

According to MDA, initial development on PTSS is being performed by government and military laboratories, to be followed by a competitive procurement with industry for production.

A system requirements review was completed in March 2011, and that a preliminary design review is scheduled for fall 2012. Launch of the first two development satellites is planned for 2016, the agency said.