[SatNews] A Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS) Demonstration satellite built by Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) and Raytheon Company (NYSE:RTN) autonomously transferred target track data from its acquisition sensor to its tracking sensor, July 23, the first time such a capability has been executed in space for the program.

The data hand-off demonstration occurred when the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) satellite acquired a ground laser operated and pointed by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory from the Starfire Optical Range at Kirtland Air Force Base near Albuquerque, N.M. Northrop Grumman has worked with the Starfire Optical Range previously to calibrate the STSS satellite acquisition sensors.

Once the acquisition sensor acquired the ground laser, it formed a confirmed track, which was passed to the track sensor. The track sensor slewed and pointed to the coordinates reported by the acquisition sensor, detected the ground laser and formed an on-board track of the ground laser. All of these data was transmitted to the STSS ground systems located at Schriever AFB in Colorado Springs. The Missile Defense Agency is pursuing the STSS Demonstration program as a space-based sensor component of the Ballistic Missile Defense System. The STSS satellites will provide missile defense sensor risk reduction concepts to support development and fielding of a future missile defense operational satellite constellation.