U.S. Space Force missile warning satellites to get new solar cells
NewsJuly 28, 2022
LONG BEACH, California. Rocket Lab USA has been chosen to provide solar cell assemblies to power three Lockheed Martin missile warning satellites, according to a Rocket Lab statement.
The company will provide high-efficiency, radiation-hardened Coverglass Interconnected Solar Cell (CIC) assemblies to power three Lockheed-built Next Gen OPIR GEO (NGG) satellites for the U.S. Space Force. The NGG program is intended to deliver global missile warning capabilities to counter missile and counter-space threats as part of the Space Force's missile warning system.
The CICs will be integrated into the solar panels and arrays on the spacecraft, which recently passed critical design review. The three satellites are planned for launch in 2025.
Rocket Lab, which was founded in 1998, earlier this year acquired SolAero, a space solar power company that supported the previous Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) program.
