Atlas V Rocket carrying SBRIS Geo-5 Missile Warning Satellite launched for US Space Force

On May 19, 2021, the United Launch Alliance launched the Atlas V Rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The Atlas V rocket carried SBRIS Geo-5 Missile Warning Satellite.

SBRIS Geo-5 Missile Warning Satellite

The satellite will provide key capabilities in missile warning, battle space, missile defence. It weighs 4,850 kilograms. As of 2018, ten SBRIS satellites were launched.

Atlas V

Atlas V is a two-stage rocket. It is fueled with rocket grade kerosene and liquid oxygen in its first stage and hydrogen and liquid oxygen in the second stage. The rocket put SBRIS at a height of 35,753 kilo metres.

SBRIS

The full form of SBRIS is Space Based Infrared System. It is designed for missile warning, missile battlespace and defence characterization. SBRIS is basically a Space Tracking and Surveillance System. SBRIS was designed to meet the Infrared Space Surveillance of United States Space Force System. In 2020 alone, the SBRIS satellites detected more than thousand missiles.

United States Space Force

It is a branch of US Armed Forces. It is first independent space force. Also, it is the only space force in the world. It is operated by Department of Air Force which is one of the three civilian led military departments in Department of Defence.

United Launch Alliance

It is an American Spacecraft company that manufactures and operates number of rocket vehicles. It also provides launch services. The Atlas V rockets are operated by the company. Vulcan Centaur is the successor to Atlas V and is under design.

In future, ULA is to launch Boeing Starliner Crew Capsule to the International Space Station. The mission is called OFT-2, that is, Orbital Flight Test. In 2019, it failed to reach the space station due to software issue.

Month: Current Affairs - May, 2021