WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — According to the release, SBIRS was designed "as the next in a series of Air Force satellites that provide multi-mission surveillance in the areas of missile warning, missile defense, technical intelligence and battlespace awareness."
Once it reaches GEO — at around 22,000 miles above the Earth — the satellite will use its sensors and cameras to detect and track infrared events, such as missile launches or other heat-causing events, the release added.
Lockheed Martin also noted that data provided by SBIRS "can also be applied to a number of qualified government and civilian applications, including first response for natural disasters and firefighting."
An Atlas V rocket will be used to launch SBIRS GEO Flight 3, which uses a Russian-built RD-180 engine to power the first stage of flight.
The next satellite to launch will be GEO Flight 4 later in 2017. SBIRS GEO-5 and GEO-6 are currently in production.
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