Space Force Retires Cold War-Era DSP Missile Warning Satellites

The U.S. Space Force has decommissioned the Defense Support Program, moving its last two satellites to a higher orbit in September. A total of 23 DSP satellites with infrared detectors were launched between 1971 and 2007.

• DSP satellites orbited at 35,888 km and scanned Earth about six times per minute
• The first satellite weighed 907 kg with 2,000 IR detectors; the last weighed 2,381 kg with 6,000
• Operational life increased from one year to more than 12 years
• DSP is succeeded by SBIRS (since 2011) and Next-Gen OPIR satellites