ITT Exelis to continue supporting AF space-based sensor system
- By Defense Systems Staff
- Jan 29, 2013
ITT Exelis has won a $3.2 million follow-on contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to furnish upgraded satellite remote sensors for space weather system, the company said Aug. 29.
Under the contract, ITT Exelis will supply additional sensors, simulators and the ground support equipment required for future payload integration activities on the project, the company said. ITT Exelis is teamed with Ball Aerospace Technologies Company on the project.
The Exelis Coherent Beacon System is a space-based sensor system that investigates and forecasts natural disturbances in the Earth’s atmosphere, the company said. The sensor system transmits multiple signals through the ionosphere to a ground-based receiver.
The system will enable the U.S. military to predict the effects of ionospheric activity on signals from communication and navigation satellites, which are critical to the safety and performance of the nation's military forces.
The AFRL at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., awarded the follow-on contract. The original contract was awarded in 2011.