WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force awarded BAE Systems a $1.2 billion contract for 10 missile-tracking satellites for a constellation in medium Earth orbit.
The contract was awarded to BAE Systems Space and Mission Systems on May 29 through a firm fixed price Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreement, the Space Systems Command said June 2 in a news release.
The program is known as Resilient Missile Warning Tracking Epoch 2, which marks the second phase of the Space Force’s program to develop a missile-tracking network in medium Earth orbit (MEO). The constellation is intended to help defend against evolving missile threats, particularly hypersonic weapons that have become a key focus for U.S. defense planners.
BAE Systems Space and Mission Systems, based in Broomfield, Colorado, was formerly Ball Aerospace before BAE Systems acquired it in 2024.
The Resilient Missile Warning Tracking satellites are designed to detect and track a range of threats, from large, bright intercontinental ballistic missile launches to dim, maneuvering hypersonic missiles. The MWT satellites are intended to be integrated with the broader national missile defense architecture.
“This allows for additional resiliency in the missile warning and tracking satellite architecture,” said Lt. Col. Brandon Castillo, materiel leader at the Epoch 2 program office.
Missile-tracking satellites use advanced sensors to identify the heat signatures of missile launches and track their trajectories, providing early warning and targeting data to defense systems.
Multi-orbit defense strategy
The first delivery of Epoch 2 is planned for fiscal year 2029.
The Space Systems Command said it is working with the Space Development Agency and the Missile Defense Agency to proliferate lower-cost satellites in both low and medium Earth orbits.
The Epoch 2 program follows Epoch 1, the first version of the MEO missile warning and tracking constellation being built by Millennium Space Systems, which is projected to launch in late 2026 and 2027. Millennium Space is under contract to deliver 12 satellites for Epoch 1.
The Space Systems Command in August 2024 requested prototype proposals for Epoch 2.
Golden Dome initiative
The MEO satellite constellation is envisioned to be a component of the Department of Defense’s multi-orbit layered missile defense architecture directed by the Trump administration in the Golden Dome initiative.
Medium Earth orbit, ranging from 2,000 to 35,786 kilometers above Earth, offers advantages over both low Earth orbit and geostationary satellites. MEO satellites provide broader coverage than low-orbit systems while offering better resolution and reduced signal delay compared to geostationary platforms.
