STEP 2.0 will fill an existing gap in the Space Test Program’s ability to procure and launch science-and-technology payloads, according to the Space Force.
Rendering of Northrop Grumman’s GAS-T design that will leverage an ESPAStar-D satellite platform to add fuel and extend the life of in-orbit assets. (Northrop Grumman image)
The efforts are driven in part by U.S. Space Command’s shift towards “dynamic space operations” — the ability to easily, continuously and quickly maneuver on-orbit satellites.
The successful review paves the way for six satellites — part of Epoch 1 of the service’s Resilient Missile Warning and Missile Tracking-MEO (MEO MW/MT) program —…
A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket with the SILENTBARKER/NROL-107 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and United States Space Force rolls from the Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) to the launch pad at Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. (United Launch Alliance photo)