{
  "id": "sbirs",
  "name": "Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS)",
  "aliases": [
    "SBIRS High"
  ],
  "domain": "space",
  "country": "USA",
  "category": "Missile warning satellite constellation",
  "status": "in-service",
  "fielded": 2008,
  "operators": [
    "USA"
  ],
  "summary": "Infrared missile warning, missile defense, technical intelligence and battlespace awareness; successor to DSP.",
  "specs": [
    {
      "k": "orbit_regime",
      "v": "GEO and HEO",
      "src": [
        "asf-sbirs"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "sats_count",
      "v": 6,
      "src": [
        "asf-sbirs"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "note": "Six GEO satellites (2011–2022) plus four hosted HEO payloads (two active, two reserve)"
    },
    {
      "k": "first_launch",
      "v": 2011,
      "src": [
        "asf-sbirs"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "mass_kg",
      "v": 2506,
      "src": [
        "asf-sbirs"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "note": "5,525 lb GEO on orbit"
    },
    {
      "k": "power_w",
      "v": 2435,
      "src": [
        "asf-sbirs"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "note": "GEO"
    },
    {
      "k": "mission",
      "v": "Strategic and theater missile warning; twice the revisit rate and three times the sensitivity of DSP",
      "src": [
        "asf-sbirs"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "program",
      "v": "GEO-6, the last, accepted 24 March 2023; Next-Gen OPIR GEO first launch slipped to FY26",
      "src": [
        "asf-sbirs"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "on_orbit",
      "v": 6,
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Payloads with current element sets in the public catalog, active or not."
    },
    {
      "k": "active_sats",
      "v": 6,
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "note": "Count in the CelesTrak active satellites list, which estimates operational status."
    },
    {
      "k": "perigee_km",
      "v": [
        35776,
        35780
      ],
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Active satellites per CelesTrak, element epoch about 2026-11-08."
    },
    {
      "k": "apogee_km",
      "v": [
        35793,
        35798
      ],
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Active satellites per CelesTrak, element epoch about 2026-11-08."
    },
    {
      "k": "period_min",
      "v": 1436.1,
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Active satellites per CelesTrak, element epoch about 2026-11-08."
    },
    {
      "k": "inclination_deg",
      "v": [
        2.31,
        4.94
      ],
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Active satellites per CelesTrak, element epoch about 2026-11-08."
    }
  ],
  "payloads": [],
  "variants": [],
  "art": "satellite",
  "image": {
    "file": "sbirs.jpg",
    "thumb": "sbirs-thumb.jpg",
    "credit": "Walter Talens, U.S. Space Force / DVIDS",
    "license": "Public domain",
    "url": "https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7351847",
    "title": "SBIRS GEO-6 roll to Space Launch Complex 41",
    "source": "DVIDS",
    "dvids_id": 7351847,
    "unit": "Space Systems Command"
  },
  "verified": null,
  "changelog": [
    {
      "date": "2026-11-08",
      "change": "Entry created from cited open sources"
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-11-08",
      "change": "Orbital elements from CelesTrak GP data (epoch about 2026-11-08): 6 catalogued, 6 active."
    }
  ],
  "satellites": [
    {
      "name": "SBIRS GEO-1 (USA 230)",
      "norad": 37481,
      "cospar": "2011-019A",
      "perigee_km": 35778,
      "apogee_km": 35795,
      "inclination_deg": 4.85,
      "period_min": 1436.1,
      "epoch": "2026-11-07",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "US",
      "launch": "2011-05-07"
    },
    {
      "name": "SBIRS GEO-2 (USA 241)",
      "norad": 39120,
      "cospar": "2013-011A",
      "perigee_km": 35776,
      "apogee_km": 35798,
      "inclination_deg": 4.8,
      "period_min": 1436.1,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "US",
      "launch": "2013-03-19"
    },
    {
      "name": "SBIRS GEO-4 (USA 273)",
      "norad": 41937,
      "cospar": "2017-004A",
      "perigee_km": 35780,
      "apogee_km": 35793,
      "inclination_deg": 2.53,
      "period_min": 1436.1,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "US",
      "launch": "2017-01-21"
    },
    {
      "name": "SBIRS GEO-3 (USA 282)",
      "norad": 43162,
      "cospar": "2018-009A",
      "perigee_km": 35779,
      "apogee_km": 35794,
      "inclination_deg": 2.31,
      "period_min": 1436.1,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "US",
      "launch": "2018-01-20"
    },
    {
      "name": "SBIRS GEO-5 (USA 315)",
      "norad": 48618,
      "cospar": "2021-042A",
      "perigee_km": 35778,
      "apogee_km": 35794,
      "inclination_deg": 4.94,
      "period_min": 1436.1,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "US",
      "launch": "2021-05-18"
    },
    {
      "name": "SBIRS GEO-6 (USA 336)",
      "norad": 53355,
      "cospar": "2022-092A",
      "perigee_km": 35779,
      "apogee_km": 35794,
      "inclination_deg": 3.03,
      "period_min": 1436.1,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "US",
      "launch": "2022-08-04"
    }
  ],
  "url": "https://www.defensepedia.com/systems/sbirs.html",
  "sources": {
    "asf-sbirs": {
      "title": "Space-Based Infrared System (weapons and platforms entry)",
      "publisher": "Air & Space Forces Magazine",
      "url": "https://www.airandspaceforces.com/weapons/sbirs/",
      "published": null,
      "tier": 3,
      "checked": "2026-11-08"
    },
    "celestrak-gp": {
      "title": "NORAD GP element sets (current data)",
      "publisher": "CelesTrak (data from the U.S. Space Force 18th/19th Space Defense Squadron catalog)",
      "url": "https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/",
      "published": "2026-11-08",
      "tier": 1,
      "checked": "2026-11-08"
    }
  }
}