The U.S. Air Force has confirmed the first of four satellites of its Space Based Space Surveillance (SBSS) system that will better defend the U.S. military's most important in-orbit satellites will launch in 2021.

The SBSS/Block 20 constellation will include four satellites. It will replace the current SBSS satellite, the Block 10 Pathfinder (a single satellite) equipped with a Space-Based Visible (SBV) sensor. Pathfinder was launched in 2010 into a sun-synchronous, low Earth orbit.

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Pathfinder's role is to improve the ability of the Air Force to detect deep space objects by 80% over the Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration of the Mid-Course Space Experiment/Space-Based Visible (MSX/SBV) sensor system.

On the other hand, the Block 20 constellation will provide timely and much improved space situation awareness to meet future space control operations. It will detect and track space objects such as satellites and orbital debris, generating data the Department of Defense will use in support of military operations.

SBSS/Block 20 will conduct timely detection and tracking of all space resident objects in orbit around the Earth. This task includes collecting, processing and communicating satellite metric and Space Object Identification data.

SBSS/Block 20 will monitor the geosynchronous orbital belt located 36,000 kilometers above the Equator that is home to the Air Force's most important satellites. The Pentagon has placed a high priority on the SBSS program since it views with increasing concern the growing anti-satellite (ASAT) capabilities of China and Russia in GEO orbit.

For this year, the U.S. Congress appropriated some $27 million for projects related to space situational awareness systems, of which nearly the entire was set aside for SBSS/Block 20.

The Pentagon sees SBSS as a significant stepping stone toward future of space superiority and a functional space-based space surveillance constellation.

A team from Boeing and Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation was awarded a $189 million contract by the Air Force for SBSS.

TagsSpace Based Space Surveillance, SBSS, U.S. Air Force, SBSS/Block 20 constellation, Block 10 Pathfinder