Space

Missile Defense Data Collection Experiment Successfully Completed

08-NEWS-0072
June 27, 2008

Lieutenant General Henry “Trey” Obering, Missile Defense Agency (MDA) director, announced today the successful completion of a technology-demonstration flight test from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility, Va. The launch occurred June 26, 2008 at 3:57 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

This exercise, identified as the Next Generation Sensor Producibility flight test (NGSP-01), successfully demonstrated the performance of emerging sensor technologies, materials, and designs that offer improvements for next-generation missile defense interceptors.

During the exercise, a Black Brant XI sounding rocket carried a payload consisting of multiple optical and infrared sensors, along with various objects. Upon reaching the desired altitude in the exo-atmosphere, the objects were ejected to present a viewing scene for the sensors under test.

Data collected during NGSP-01 will undergo thorough analysis and be evaluated for use in the development of future missile defense interceptor kill vehicles. The NGSP-01 experiment was not a weapon system exercise.

News media point of contact is Rick Lehner, Missile Defense Agency, at (703) 697-8997 or [email protected]