Millennium Space Systems, a Boeing subsidiary, has achieved a milestone moment in national defense with the delivery of six satellites for the Missile Track Custody (MTC) program, which promises to fortify the United States’ capabilities to detect and track ballistic and hypersonic missile threats from medium Earth orbit (MEO).
In an ambitious demonstration of speed and resilience, the U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command (SSC) and Millennium Space Systems have navigated a path through the critical design review, moving to rapid production and integration of a constellation of satellites pivotal to the nation’s missile warning and defense architecture.
According to Colonel Heather Bogstie, senior materiel leader for the SSC Space Sensing Resilient Missile Warning, Missile Tracking, Missile Defense (MW/MT/MD) program office, “The missile warning and defense architecture must be rapidly fielded, resilient in a wartime environment and ready to defend the Nation and our Allies. MTC is a key element of that architecture, proving out the ability to deliver a resilient constellation with speed.”
The impetus behind MTC’s swift development cycle was not just speed for the sake of it, but an operational necessity. As Lt. Col. Gary Goff of SSC highlights, “Delivering missile tracking satellites into medium earth orbit on an unprecedented timeline — gets us the latest technology into our missile warning and tracking architecture as fast as possible.”
Millennium’s advanced digital engineering practices have been pivotal to the program’s rapid progress, with their digital, model-based approach facilitating quick trade evaluations and allowing for future technological updates. This methodology underpinned the MTC Mission Payload Critical Design Review in November 2022 and the follow-up space vehicle CDR.
The integration of the MTC constellation into the existing missile defense infrastructure required a balance between innovative approaches and the reliability of a mature spacecraft architecture. Millennium’s ALTAIR bus heritage played a significant role here, with its flight-proven design ensuring a solid foundation for the satellites while digital engineering optimized the coordination and data analyses.
In the words of Millennium Space Systems CEO Jason Kim, “We’re making the need for speed a reality. MTC is a critical capability in the nation’s resilient, layered missile warning and defense architecture, and schedule is paramount. We are bringing all of Millennium’s experience moving with speed to meet operational imperatives.”
Dana Carroll, Vice President of Marketing for Millennium Space Systems, encapsulates the essence of the endeavor: “Millennium Space Systems is redefining what it means to be an operational prime – rapidly delivering operational small sat constellations on rapid timelines.”
Relevant articles:
– Millennium Space Systems is delivering on critical missile tracking constellation, Breaking Defense
– Millennium Space Systems completes Missile Track Custody space vehicle critical design review, Millennium Space Systems
– Missile Track Custody: Rapid. Resilient. Ready., Millennium Space Systems
– Millennium Space to build a missile-sensor layer in medium Earth orbit, SpaceNews