In a significant advancement for US missile defense, L3Harris Technologies' satellite, the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS), has demonstrated its capability to track hypersonic missiles from space. This achievement gives L3Harris a considerable advantage within the Golden Dome program, a Trump administration initiative to strengthen US defenses against advanced aerial threats.
The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) confirmed on April 25th that the L3Harris HBTSS prototype met all performance targets during testing. The MDA launched two competing HBTSS demonstration satellites in February 2024 – one from L3Harris and another from Northrop Grumman. However, only the L3Harris satellite fulfilled the program's requirements, according to an MDA spokesperson. “While a full assessment of proven payload performance has not yet been concluded, MDA can confirm that the L3Harris satellite is successfully demonstrating its primary functions,” the spokesperson told SpaceNews. “The Northrop Grumman satellite failed to meet established requirements.”
The MDA awarded Northrop Grumman a $155 million contract and L3Harris a $121 million contract in January 2021 to develop the HBTSS prototype satellites. “We were pleased to partner with both L3Harris and Northrop Grumman on this important homeland missile defense capability and look forward to working with them in the future,” the MDA spokesperson stated. “The rapid prototype process was designed for a fair but difficult challenge for the industry members involved … This entire effort represents a great lesson learned in the success and effectiveness of the rapid prototype process.”
HBTSS is a crucial component of the Golden Dome program, a missile defense initiative that aims to accelerate the deployment of space-based sensors as part of a broader strategy to protect the US against missile and aerial threats. The HBTSS sensor is designed to track fast, low-flying hypersonic weapons, a challenge for traditional systems. L3Harris describes its satellite as providing “fire-control quality” tracking, data precise and timely enough for interceptor missile guidance.
While the MDA hasn't announced plans for a follow-on contract, L3Harris is prepared for production. “We have the only proven satellite in orbit that works,” L3Harris CEO Christopher Kubasik stated on April 24th during a first-quarter earnings call. “If we can get an order here quickly, we can have the U.S. covered while the President is still in office.” L3Harris has expanded its satellite manufacturing capacity, estimating a need for approximately 40 HBTSS satellites for global coverage. Ed Zoiss, president of space and airborne systems at L3Harris, mentioned that five HBTSS sensors have been built – one for MDA and four for the Space Development Agency (SDA).