Space Systems Command has cleared a critical design review for the first two orbital planes of Epoch 2, the next block of satellites built to watch for ballistic and hypersonic missiles from medium Earth orbit.
The milestone closed five months after the preliminary design review and 14 months after the initial award in 2025. Epoch 2 covers 10 spacecraft divided across two planes, expanding on Epoch 1, which comprises 12 satellites in the program’s first two MEO planes.
One supplier in, one still open
The review drew on work from BAE’s space and mission systems business, which holds one of two planned supplier slots. The program expects to fill its second supplier slot in early fiscal 2027.
The next phase is hardware, with the spacecraft moving into assembly, integration and testing next year. Officials say a middle-tier framework trades a traditional acquisition path for speed, and that digital engineering protected the timeline.
Lt. Col. Brandon Castillo manages the Epoch 2 program. He said the office weighs speed against engineering rigor, with a worldwide tracking capability as its goal.
More than early warning
Beyond warning, the constellation is meant to supply battlespace awareness and technical intelligence to US forces and allies. Together, Epoch 1 and Epoch 2 are intended to replace regional looks with coverage that is harder to disrupt.
The pressure behind the milestone is the threat itself. Adversaries are fielding maneuverable hypersonic weapons, and a medium Earth orbit architecture promises broader reach and more resilience than a handful of high-value satellites in low orbit.
