A Lockheed Martin team successfully launched a scientific payload April 13 for the Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA’s) Critical Measurements/Countermeasures Program.

Lockheed Martin leads the Targets and Countermeasures industry team, which launched the vehicle and its payload from the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii.

The payload was launched on a SR19 launch vehicle over the Pacific Ocean for the purpose of studying measurements from various missile defense sensors. Orbital Sciences Corp., a Lockheed Martin subcontractor on the team, integrated the launch vehicle and provided launch services. The payload was built by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Lincoln Laboratory and provided as government-furnished equipment.

The Targets and Countermeasures Program provides realistic testing for the Ballistic Missile Defense System being developed by the MDA to defend against all classes of ballistic missiles. Lockheed Martin performs Targets and Countermeasures Program management and systems engineering at its facility in Arlington, Va., and engineering at its facilities in Huntsville, Ala., Denver, Colo., Albuquerque, N.M., and Sunnyvale, Calif.