Military space capabilities are critical for U.S. troops in the Middle East and around the world, and that includes a constellation of satellites that can detect missile launches using infrared sensors.
The U.S. has credited the system, known as SBIRS, for saving American lives at bases in the Middle East in the past, and experts say it’s likely proving to be a critical technology today, as Iran-backed forces launch a barrage of attacks against American service members in the region.
WSJ’s Shelby Holliday sat down with Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, U.S. Space Force’s Chief of Space Operations, to learn more about how the satellite technology works, and the importance of improving it as hostile nations race to counter U.S. space capabilities.
0:00 The U.S.’s space tech advantage 0:37 Recent Middle East attacks 1:29 How SBIRS missile warning works 2:36 Protecting troops 3:45 Future of missile warning technology
News Explainers Some days the high-speed news cycle can bring more questions than answers. WSJ’s news explainers break down the day's biggest stories into bite-size pieces to help you make sense of the news.
