U.S. Space Force clears design review for 10 satellites

The U.S. Space Force has completed a critical design review for 10 new satellites planned for medium Earth orbit, clearing the way for the next stage of its missile-warning and tracking network.

The review covers the first two orbital planes of the Epoch 2 segment of Space Systems Command’s Resilient Missile Warning and Tracking programme. The 10 spacecraft are set to be split between those two planes and are intended to strengthen global missile-tracking coverage.

BAE Space & Mission Systems, identified as the first of two planned Epoch 2 suppliers, supported the completed review. Space Systems Command said the selection of a second supplier is still underway, with a contract award planned for early fiscal 2027.

Epoch 2 follows Epoch 1, which consists of 12 satellites spread across the programme’s first two medium Earth orbit planes. According to the Space Force, the combined system is meant to create a more resilient global missile-tracking architecture. Epoch 2 is also intended to add battlespace awareness and technical intelligence for U.S. forces and allies.

"To outpace today’s advanced threats, we are balancing speed with technical rigor to deliver global missile tracking capability to the warfighter", said Lt. Col. Brandon Castillo, the Epoch 2 system programme manager.

The programme is using a middle-tier acquisition framework, which the Space Force said is intended to support faster delivery. The critical design review came five months after the preliminary design review and 14 months after the initial contract award in 2025. Space Systems Command said established technologies and digital engineering tools helped keep that schedule on track.

"The combined government and industry team has been in lockstep since PDR to mature this system design", said Heather Tackett, the Epoch 2 deputy system programme manager. "The use of advanced digital engineering tools enabled our team to communicate dynamically, identify and resolve misalignments early, and track enterprise-level mission capability."

Assembly, integration and testing of the satellites are scheduled to begin in 2027, as the programme aims to field the constellation more quickly than traditional acquisition methods.

"As our adversaries rapidly develop highly maneuverable hypersonic missiles, a resilient MEO architecture is essential", Castillo said. "We are building a new missile tracking capability with global access to help ensure joint warfighters have actionable, real-time data needed to detect, track, and counter advanced threats.

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