Boeing-led Missile Defense Team Completes 2-Stage Interceptor Booster Test

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Boeing-led Missile Defense Team Completes 2-Stage Interceptor Booster Test
UNITED STATES - 6 JUNE 2010

VANDENBERG U.S. AIR FORCE BASE, Calif., June 6, 2010 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA], industry teammates and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) today completed a successful flight test of the two-stage ground-based interceptor (GBI) of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system, the United States' only long-range ballistic missile defense system.

"Having supported the MDA on GMD since its inception, through fielding and sustainment, it is a tremendous honor to watch the system continue to evolve with this successful two-stage flight test," said Greg Hyslop, vice president and general manager of Boeing Strategic Missile & Defense Systems. "As world events continue to show that ballistic missile threats are real, this system offers U.S. warfighters a robust and reliable hedge-capability to defend their homeland. Boeing is proud to be a part of GMD's continuing success."

The test began at 3:25 p.m. Pacific time when the two-stage GBI lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base. The GBI -- carrying an operational Exo-atmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV) payload -- measured performance data for the new two-stage design as well as how an operationally configured EKV operates under stressful boundary conditions. The two-stage GBI has more than 95 percent commonality with the three-stage GBIs currently deployed in underground silos at Vandenberg and at Fort Greely, Alaska, and uses existing flight-qualified components.

"Today’s test not only provided unique data that will allow us to characterize two-stage GBI performance, which enhances our models and simulations, but also took advantage of having an operational EKV on the booster to gather data on the entire GMD system," said Norm Tew, Boeing vice president and GMD program director. "By drawing on our unmatched expertise on the system and working with our government, military and industry partners, we have demonstrated a flexible capability for an already proven defense system."

Boeing has been the prime contractor for GMD since 2001. Leading the design and development of the system, Boeing delivered an operational capability in just two and a half years. The company also continues to lead GMD's operations and sustainment efforts.

GMD is an integral element of the Missile Defense Agency's overall layered ballistic missile defense architecture. It defends the United States against long-range ballistic missiles, with interceptors deployed in underground silos at Vandenberg and at Fort Greely. GMD also consists of radars, other sensors, command-and-control facilities, communications terminals and a 20,000-mile fiber optic communications network.

Boeing's industry partners on the GMD team include Raytheon Co., Orbital Sciences Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp.

Source: The Boeing Company

 

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Orbital’s Two-Stage OBV Interceptor Rocket Successfully Launched for Missile Defense Flight Test
UNITED STATES - 8 JUNE 2010

Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB) announced today that a two-stage configuration of its flight-proven Orbital Boost Vehicle (OBV) was successfully flight-tested earlier today in the Booster Verification Test-1 (BVT-1) mission that originated from Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB), CA. Under a contract from The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system, Orbital developed a two-stage ground-based interceptor (GBI) booster that will provide the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) more flexibility in how it addresses emerging threats to the United States, its deployed troops and allied nations. Largely based on the original three-stage OBV GBI, Orbital designed and tested a two-stage version that could be deployed at current interceptor locations to augment existing capabilities, or at new locations in the United States or abroad to counter threats from particular geographic locations.

“Once again, Orbital has successfully developed a new launch system that serves the interests of the Missile Defense Agency and ultimately, the American people,” said Mr. Ron Grabe, Orbital’s Executive Vice President and General Manager of its Launch Systems Group. “Building on the success of the original Orbital Boost Vehicle, proven over the past seven years with a perfect eight-for-eight launch record, our two-stage booster allows for a more flexible approach to countering threats around the world for the country’s decision makers.”

The two-stage OBV was launched from VAFB on Sunday, June 6 and successfully met all mission objectives, which included pre-launch built-in test functionality, launch and fly out of the two-stage GBI, verification of fairing and stage separation systems, as well as accurate delivery of the exoatmospheric kill vehicle (EKV) payload. In addition, the BVT-1 mission successfully gathered telemetry data to further characterize the performance and flight characteristics of the two-stage OBV in the flight environment.

The two-stage OBV represents an incremental change from the original three-stage OBV design that eliminates the third stage rocket motor. The two-stage OBV provides a shorter booster action time while delivering the necessary performance to provide the GMD system with flexibility to support certain engagement scenarios.

The BVT-1 interceptor carried an EKV payload, however an intercept was not planned since this mission was the first test flight of the two-stage GBI configuration. Therefore, a target vehicle was not required for the flight test.

Orbital provides the OBV as part of an industry team led by Boeing for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. Orbital’s GMD boosters are based on flight-proven hardware that has flown over 60 times on missions carried out by the company’s Pegasus®, Taurus® and Minotaur space launch vehicles.

The two-stage OBV is the third of five new launch systems Orbital is developing that will be introduced in a two and a half year period that commenced at the beginning of 2010. In addition to the inaugural launch of the two-stage OBV, the company recently launched the first Minotaur IV rocket for the U.S. Air Force and supported the launch of the Launch Abort Systems that it designed and built for NASA’s Orion program. In mid-2011, Orbital is scheduled to carry out the inaugural flight of its Taurus® II space launch vehicle and approximately a year later, the company will launch NASA’s LADEE robotic explorer into lunar orbit aboard the first Minotaur V rocket.

Orbital’s space launch vehicles, missile defense interceptors and related suborbital target rockets are primarily produced at the company’s engineering and manufacturing facility in Chandler, AZ and its vehicle assembly and integration facilities at Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA. The company’s launch vehicles are used by commercial and government customers to deliver small- and medium-class satellites into low altitude orbits above the Earth and in missile defense systems, both as threat-simulating target vehicles and as interceptor boosters for U.S. national defense systems.


Source: Orbital Sciences Corporation

 

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Vandenberg launches ground-based interceptor
UNITED STATES - 6 JUNE 2010

VANDENBERG U.S. AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The 30th Space Wing and Missile Defense Agency launched a ground-based interceptor at 3:25 p.m. June 6 from North Vandenberg. The launch was a flight test for a two-stage variant of the operationally-configured three-stage interceptor now deployed at Vandenberg AFB.

The test was solely for data collection purposes and system performance evaluation. There was no target launch or intercept attempt for this mission.

"Executing a successful launch like this requires a great deal of work from many people in various organizations and Team Vandenberg performed magnificently," said Col. Richard Boltz, 30th Space Wing commander and Launch Decision Authority for today's launch.

This launch was Col. Boltz's first as wing commander; however, the 22-year career Air Force officer is no stranger to the spacelift mission, having previously served at Vandenberg as a mission flight control officer in the mid 1990's.

"It's great to be back in the launch business after being away from it for 15 years."

This was the first missile defense program launch from Vandenberg AFB's Launch Facility 24, which was recently upgraded to support missile defense testing. Previous interceptor launches have been conducted at nearby Launch Facility 23.