BROOMFIELD, COLORADO – On Wednesday, March 11, 2026, BAE Systems announced the successful completion of the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for the U.S. Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) Resilient Missile Warning and Tracking (RMWT) – Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) Epoch 2 program.
This $1.2 billion milestone establishes the technical foundation for a ten-satellite constellation and the associated ground command and control systems designed to track advanced missile threats.
The completion of the preliminary design was achieved in less than nine months from the initial contract award in May 2025. This rapid development pace was facilitated by the use of high technology readiness level components, including the BAE Systems TREK product bus, and the implementation of digital model-based systems engineering.
Technical Architecture and Digital Modeling
The Epoch 2 mission is designed to provide resilient, space-based warning and tracking for both traditional ballistic missiles and advanced emerging threats, such as hypersonic glide vehicles. By utilizing the TREK product bus and extensive heritage in infrared optical payloads, BAE Systems is streamlining the delivery of the space segment.
Key components of the program include:
- Space Segment: Design and construction of 10 spacecraft optimized for Medium Earth Orbit.
- Ground Segment: Development of a unified ground system for mission management and command and control.
- Engineering Approach: Extensive use of digital modeling and simulation to validate implementation plans and accelerate data analysis.
Strategic Rationale for MEO Layered Defense
The SSC MEO Epoch 2 program is part of a broader Department of War and Space Force strategy to diversify orbital regimes for national security. Unlike legacy systems in Geostationary Orbit, the MEO constellation offers increased resilience through a proliferated architecture, making it more difficult for adversaries to disrupt the global missile warning network.
Thai Sheridan, vice president and general manager of Military Space for BAE Systems, noted that the successful review validates the collective use of digital modeling to meet aggressive mission timelines. BAE Systems serves as the prime contractor, leading the program from mission planning and payload delivery through launch and operations support.
Next Steps in Constellation Deployment
Following the successful PDR, the program will transition into the final design and fabrication phase. The next major technical milestone will be the Critical Design Review, which will further solidify the path toward satellite production. The Epoch 2 spacecraft are intended to work in concert with existing and future layers of the missile defense architecture to ensure continuous global coverage against maneuvering threats.
