For The First Time Satellites Track A Complete Missile Flight

An artist's illustration of the new STSS missile defense demonstration satellites in orbit. Northrop Grumman

U.S. Military Satellites Achieve 'Holy Grail' of Missile Defense -- FOX News

A pair of low Earth-orbiting demonstration satellites built by Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems for the first time on March 16 detected and tracked a ballistic missile launch through all phases of flight, a Northrop Grumman official said March 22.

So-called birth-to-death tracking of a ballistic missile launch had never been done before from space -- and is the most significant achievement to date for the Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS) spacecraft, said Doug Young, Northrop Grumman’s vice president of missile defense and warning programs.

“It’s the Holy Grail for missile defense,” Young said during a media briefing here. [Top 10 Space Weapons Concepts]

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Update #1: For the First Time, Satellites Track a Ballistic Missile Through All Phases of Flight -- Popular Science
Update #2: U.S. Satellites Achieve Full-Flight Missile Tracking -- Global Security Newswire
Update #3: For the First Time, Satellites Track a Ballistic Missile Through All Phases of Flight
Update #4: U.S.reports ballistic missile defense breakthrough -- CBS News

My comment: This makes missile defense one step closer to reality.