Military space capabilities are critical for U.S. troops in the Middle East and around the world, and that includes a constellation of satellites that can detect missile launches using infrared sensors. The recently-created Space Force is tasked with improving and proliferating the technology as Russia and China race to counter U.S. capabilities in space.

The U.S. has credited the missile warning system, known as SBIRS, for saving American lives at bases in the Middle East in the past, and experts say it’s likely proving to be a critical technology today, as Iran-backed forces launch a barrage of attacks against American service members and partners in the region.

WSJ’s Shelby Holliday sat down with Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, U.S. Space Force’s Chief of Space Operations, to learn more about how the satellite technology works.

Chapters:
0:00 The U.S.’s space tech advantage
0:37 Recent Middle East attacks
1:29 How SBIRS missile warning works
2:36 Protecting troops
3:45 Future of missile warning technology

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