Report
US Space Force retires Cold War-era missile-warning satellite program
Ars Technica reports that the final two Defense Support Program satellites raised their orbits before the program’s retirement.
TLDR
Ars Technica reports that the US Space Force retired the Defense Support Program in September 2026, ending more than 55 years of satellite monitoring for missile launches. The final two satellites raised their orbits after an early September exercise. The military began launching a newer infrared satellite system in 2011 and is developing its next generation.
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