Lockheed Martin delivered its second payload for the U.S. Air Force‘s Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) program, the company announced Sept. 28.

The Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO 2) payload, built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Sunnyvale, Calif., is designed to detect and report missile launches, as well as support other missions such as technical intelligence and battlespace characterization.

Lockheed and subcontractor Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, Azusa, Calif., have delivered a pair of HEO payloads for the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles Air Force Base. The first payload was delivered in August 2004.

The full SBIRS High system will consist of two payloads in highly elliptical orbit, four satellites in geosynchronous orbit and fixed and mobile ground-based assets to receive and process the data. Integration and test of the first geosynchronous satellite is scheduled to begin before the end of 2005, and the first satellite is scheduled to be launched in fiscal year 2008.