45.51 (-0.34) 
STSS will provide precise midcourse tracking and discrimination of objects in support of the Ballistic Missile Defense mission. STSS expands the Ballistic Missile Defense Test Bed into space and provides the proof-of-concept for key tracking and surveillance functions.
STSS is being pursued as part of the Missile Defense Agency's process of exploring a variety of methods to detect incoming ballistic missiles and pass this information to Ballistic Missile Defense System interceptors. This low-Earth orbiting component will have the unique capability of tracking missiles from launch to reentry and will relay necessary cueing data to missile interceptors before a missile warhead reaches friendly territory or forces.
Raytheon brings a wealth of experience in designing and producing space surveillance sensors to the STSS team. The Raytheon STSS sensor payload was developed for the continual observation of ballistic missiles in the boost, midcourse, and reentry phases of flight. Composed of an acquisition sensor, a tracking sensor, and a processing subsystem, the STSS sensor payload will provide protection from evolving threats. These state-of-the-art components successfully demonstrated performance in thermal vacuum tests against simulated targets.
The STSS Program Office (SPO) is part of the Space and Missile Systems Center located at the Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, California. Colonel Randall S. Weidenheimer is the STSS SPO Program Manager.
