Mon, Dec 07, 2009
Delta IV Launch Delivers Third Piece Of New Communications
System
A new
configuration of the Delta IV rocket left its Florida launch pad on
Saturday around 8:47 pm carrying a next-generation Air Force
satellite. Lift-off occurred at the very end of a
90-minute launch window and after several days of delay caused by
unfavorable weather around Cape Canaveral.
The success is good news for United Launch Alliance (ULA), a
2006 joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing. ULA had
never flown this specific configuration of the rocket with the
larger 5-meter payload shroud and a total of 4 strap-on
boosters.
ULA provides both the Atlas and Delta
families of expendable rockets for the DOD and NASA. The high
success rate for ULA vehicles has been quoted in recent talk of
revisions to NASA's moon plans. Improved versions of Delta and
Atlas vehicles have been proposed as replacements for the Ares I
rocket being developed internally by NASA.
The rocket's payload was the third Wideband Global SATCOM
(WGS-3) spacecraft, a $300 million, 6.5 ton satellite. There
are a total of six satellites being developed by defense
departments in the US and Australia as a part of a new
high-capacity communications system.
WGS replaces the current Defense
Satellite Communication System (DSCS) that has been in operation
for more than two decades. The older system cannot process
the high data rates common in today's technology. Troops in
Afghanistan and Iraq are already benefitting from vast improvements
in communications provided by the two WGS spacecraft already in
orbit, including downloads of up to 2.4 Gigabits/second.
Air Force Maj. Mark Hadley, a deputy program manager for WGS
explained the impact of the new system on military capabilities.
"It provides voice, data and commanding at about 10 times the data
rate that was previously available," said Hadley. "It really is a
game-changer."
More News
Light Gun A handheld directional light signaling device which emits a brilliant narrow beam of white, green, or red light as selected by the tower controller. The color and type of>[...]
"The journey to this achievement started nearly a decade ago when a freshly commissioned Gentry, driven by a fascination with new technologies and a desire to contribute significan>[...]
Aero Linx: JAARS, Inc. For decades now, we’ve landed planes on narrow rivers and towering mountains. We’ve outfitted boats and vehicles to reach villages that rarely se>[...]
"Our driven and innovative team of military and civilian Airmen delivers combat power daily, ensuring our nation is ready today and tomorrow." Source: General Duke Richardson, AFMC>[...]
Aircraft Conflict Predicted conflict, within EDST of two aircraft, or between aircraft and airspace. A Red alert is used for conflicts when the predicted minimum separation is 5 na>[...]
ANN's Daily Aero-Term (04.20.24): Light Gun
See All