US Space Force NGP program achieves critical design review milestone

US Space Force NGP program achieves critical design review milestone
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 01, 2024

The Space Systems Command (SSC) of the US Space Force has successfully completed the Critical Design Review (CDR) for the Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) Polar (NGP) Space Vehicle on April 25, 2024. This critical review marks a major advancement in the project, signaling readiness for system fabrication, coding, assembly, integration, and testing phases.

Over 50 subsystem, mission payload, and space vehicle design reviews contributed to this achievement, which verifies the design's maturity and its capability to meet the northern hemisphere's strategic missile warning requirements and counter evolving threats.

"This successful CDR milestone shows the space vehicle meets standards and is on track to continue our launch planning efforts," said Lt. Col. Nicholas Laliberte, materiel leader for SSC's NGP program.

"As a major component of our series of checks and evaluations, this success boosts our confidence the program will deliver essential capabilities to the warfighter to counter aggressive actions from U.S. adversaries. We leveraged and streamlined acquisition authorities on the Next Gen OPIR program to prototype solutions, using available industry capabilities and mature technology ensuring we can rapidly deliver improved capabilities for the warfighter."

Designed to replace the legacy Space Based Infrared Systems Highly Elliptical Orbit hosted program, NGP will provide a robust space-based global missile warning capability against emerging missile, counter-space, and cyber threats.

"The NGP system is a critical cornerstone of our nation's deterrence strategy, providing a strategic missile warning capability with unrivaled performance and resilience against any adversary. As China and Russia continue to modernize, our system provides the Nation with an unblinking eye that warns us of impending attacks against our homeland and our allies. It is critical to field these systems within cost, schedule and with the right technology, allowing our nation to maintain our strategic advantages in space," said Capt. Christian Chavez, space vehicle and resiliency lead, SSC NGP program.

With a budget of $15.6 billion, SSC oversees the acquisition and delivery of resilient capabilities essential for maintaining the U.S.'s strategic advantage in, from, and to space.