BAE Systems has finished the preliminary design review for a new US Space Force satellite program aimed at tracking ballistic and hypersonic missiles.
The milestone sets the stage for the $1.2-billion Resilient Missile Warning & Tracking (RMWT) – Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) Epoch 2 program, which will deliver a 10-satellite constellation and ground systems to manage mission planning, command and control, and data distribution.
BAE will use its TREK product bus and infrared payload expertise to provide resilient, space-based missile warning capabilities.
This development comes less than nine months after the original award and sets the stage for detailed development of both the spacecraft and associated ground command and control systems.
Work under this program includes developing the ground segment required to manage mission operations and align with the US Space Force’s aim to improve responsiveness and data flow between space-based sensors and terrestrial defense networks.
Expanded US Space Missile Tracking Developments
This effort is part of a broader US Space Force strategy to enhance its missile detection architecture in space, integrating advanced sensors and resilient satellite networks to better address evolving threats.
Epoch 2 satellites are designed to operate in Medium Earth Orbit, providing global coverage and complementing earlier phases of the RMWT constellation.
Recent developments also illustrate the pace of US space‑based missile warning and tracking modernization.
In January 2026, Leonardo DRS secured a subcontract to deliver advanced infrared sensor payloads for the Space Development Agency’s Tracking Layer Tranche 3 constellation, a network designed to detect and track ballistic and hypersonic missile threats as part of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.
Additionally, Sierra Space completed a critical design review for 18 missile‑tracking satellites under the SDA’s Tranche 2 Tracking Layer program in October 2025, moving those spacecraft closer to production and launch.