The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has delivered its fifth next-generation Global Burst Detector (GBD) sensor payload to the U.S. Space Force to monitor nuclear detonations above-ground globally.
The payload will be integrated onto a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite before launch, where it will join an existing constellation of sensors that continuously monitor the globe for above-ground nuclear explosions. Orbiting approximately 12,550 miles above Earth aboard GPS satellites, the sensors support the U.S. Nuclear Detonation Detection System, a mission that dates back to the early 1960s.
“A strong nuclear deterrence posture is critical to shielding America against attack, and the delivery of this capability provides the nation with the capability to detect nuclear detonations under all conditions,” Matthew Napoli, NNSA’s deputy administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, said in a statement. He added that the new payload will help ensure the system’s monitoring capability well into the future once launched.
The next-generation GBD payload is designed to identify the unique signatures produced by nuclear explosions using multiple sensor systems. Sandia National Laboratories develops the optical sensors and sensor management subsystem, while Los Alamos National Laboratory provides the electromagnetic pulse, X-ray and charged-particle sensors.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Aerospace Corporation provide systems engineering, independent mission assurance and verification of computer models and simulations to confirm the payload will perform as intended in orbit.
According to NNSA, the development process includes engineering, manufacturing, testing and certification before delivery to the Space Force’s GPS spacecraft contractor for integration. The latest delivery continues a long-running collaboration among the national laboratories and aims to support sustaining U.S. nuclear explosion detection capabilities as older space-based sensors are replaced with more advanced systems.