Space Based Space Surveillance PDR

Submitted for deposition here mostly for future reference.


http://i-newswire.com/pr13821.html
[EXCERPT]

Boeing, in partnership with Northrop Grumman Mission
Systems, has successfully completed the Preliminary
Design Review (PDR) for the Space Based Space
Surveillance (SBSS) Pathfinder system. This is
another significant program milestone demonstrating
the "best-of-industry" approach the Boeing team has
developed to meet program requirements.

i-Newswire, 2005-04-07 - The PDR, which was held in
Huntington Beach, Calif., and included over 100
participants from the government and its contractors,
conducted a thorough review of the SBSS Pathfinder
system architecture and design. The review was the
culmination of a detailed Ground Segment Preliminary
Design Audit ( PDA ) conducted by Boeing in early
January, and a detailed Space Vehicle Preliminary
Design Audit ( PDA ) conducted by Ball Aerospace,
the spacecraft and payload provider, in late January.
At the conclusion of the 4-day PDR event, the Air
Force customer was very pleased with the level of
the review.

Col James Haywood, the Space Superiority Material
Wing Commander concluded with, "Superb job on a
successful PDR, a mature design and well-integrated
baseline."

Under a contract awarded in March 2004, the Boeing
team is developing a spacecraft with a visible sensor
and ground segment. The team is also responsible for
mission planning, mission data processing, a 2008
launch, and an option to operate the system for up
to one year prior to transitioning operations and
maintenance to the Air Force customer.

"Our reliance on, and the potential vulnerability of
our national space assets, underscores the importance
of developing a robust space situational awareness
capability," said John Fuller, vice president of Air
Force Space Systems for Boeing. "As a horizontally
integrated company, we are able to access the
capabilities and talent across the Boeing enterprise
and the rest of industry."

SBSS Pathfinder is a low-risk, executable, cost-
effective addition to the space situational awareness
architecture. Looking toward the future, the SBSS
Objective System will consist of a constellation of
satellites that will further increase capacity and
timeliness of detecting and tracking orbiting space
objects, including potential future threats to
America 's space assets. The Department of Defense
will utilize data generated by the system to support
worldwide military operations.

The SBSS Pathfinder program is jointly managed by the
U.S. Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center,
Los Angeles Air Force Base, CA, Northrop Grumman
Mission System, Redondo Beach, CA, and Boeing Air
Force Systems, Long Beach, CA, a business unit of
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems.