US Space Force Credits Space Based Infrared System for Detecting Iranian Missile Attack In January Written 16 September 2020

Air Force Times reports that the US Space Force “confirmed that its Space Based Infrared System [SBIRS] satellites were used to detect more than a dozen Iranian missiles aimed at U.S. war fighters in Iraq in January, giving Americans and their partners crucial warning.” On Tuesday, during the Air Force Association 2020: Air, Space and Cyberspace Conference, Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. John Raymond “specifically credited space professionals assigned to the 2nd Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado, with providing that early warning, saving the lives of American and coalition forces.” The SBIRS satellites are built by Lockheed Martin and use infrared sensors from Northrop Grumman. The “constellation consists of four geosynchronous (GEO) satellites, with another two payloads riding on host satellites operating in highly elliptical orbits (HEO) to provide global coverage.” A “fifth geosynchronous satellite is expected to launch in 2021.”
Full Story (Air Force Times)