IHI, Northrop Grumman to Partner to Monitor ‘Killer Satellites’

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:16 JST, March 14, 2023

IHI Corp. and U.S. defense giant Northrop Grumman Corp. will team up in the business of monitoring so-called killer satellites that disrupt the activities of other satellites, The Yomiuri Shimbun learned Monday.

IHI operates a ground-based satellite monitoring system. By incorporating the firm’s technology into Northrop Grumman’s surveillance satellites, the two companies expect to improve the accuracy of image analysis.

The Japanese government plans to launch a surveillance satellite by fiscal 2026, and the two firms will propose that their jointly developed technology is adopted.