USAF SMC Seventh Wideband Global SATCOM Satellite

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USAF SMC Seventh Wideband Global SATCOM Satellite Launched

LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE, El Segundo, California - The U.S. Air Force has launched the seventh Wideband Global SATCOM spacecraft on a United Launch Alliance Delta IV launch vehicle at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on July 23, at 8:07 p.m. EDT. Acquired for the Air Force by the Space and Missile Systems Center, Military Satellite Communications Directorate and built by Boeing Defense, Space & Security, a unit of The Boeing Company, WGS is the nation's next-generation wideband satellite communications system supporting soldiers, sailors, airman, Marines, and international partners around the world.

Over the next few months, Boeing will begin on-orbit testing of WGS-7 to verify nominal performance and prepare the satellite for operational use. Ultimately, WGS-7 will be controlled by the U.S. Air Force's 3rd Space Operations Squadron at Schriever Air Force Base. WGS-7 is expected to enter operations in early 2016.

"The WGS constellation continues to provide significant added capacity to our DoD space communications architecture." said Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, Space and Missile Systems Center commander and Air Force Program Executive Officer for Space. "WGS delivers crucial wideband communication to soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and international partners around the globe. I am proud of the hard work and cooperation of the government and contactor teams on another successful WGS launch."

The Space and Missile Systems Center is the U.S. Air Force's center of acquisition excellence for acquiring and developing military space systems. With three more satellites in production, the WGS constellation is planned to have a total of ten satellites on orbit by 2018.

 

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Wideband Global SATCOM - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Wideband Global SATCOM system (WGS) is a high capacity satellite communications system planned for use in partnership by the United States Department of Defense (DoD) and the Australian Department of Defence.[1] The system is composed of the Space Segment satellites, the Terminal Segment users and the Control Segment operators.[2]

DoD wideband satellite communication services are currently provided by a combination of the existing Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS) and Global Broadcast Service (GBS) satellites.[3] According to United Launch Alliance, quoted on Spaceflight Now, "A single WGS spacecraft has as much bandwidth as the entire existing DSCS constellation."[4]

Unmanned Delta rocket blasts off with U.S. military satellite| Reuters

n upgraded Delta 4 rocket delivered a $445 million U.S. military communications satellite into orbit on Thursday, the seventh member of a planned network of 10 satellites.

Built and flown by United Launch Alliance, the 22-story tall booster rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 8:07 p.m. EDT (0007 GMT).

United Launch Alliance is a partnership of Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing Co (BA.N). The Delta 4 was powered by an engine made by Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc.

Poor weather in Florida delayed the launch by one day.

Perched on top of the rocket was the U.S. Air Force’s seventh Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) satellite, part of a network being built by Boeing.

Once in position more than 22,000 miles (35,400 km) above the equator, the satellite, known as WGS-7, will join a constellation that provides the military’s highest capacity communications service. The 7,600-lb (3,447 kg) spacecraft is designed to last 14 years.

The WGS network is used to relay television broadcasts, video conferences, images and other high-bandwidth data to and from ships, aircraft, ground forces, operations centers, the U.S. Department of State, the White House and select partners worldwide.

In an unusual partnering arrangement with the U.S. Air Force, Australia paid $707 million for the WGS-6 satellite, which was launched in 2013. In exchange, Australia can use a percentage of the WGS network through 2029, when its 22-year agreement with the Air Force expires.

The Air Force has a similar agreement in place with Canada, Denmark, Luxemburg, Netherlands and New Zealand, which are banding together to pay for the ninth WGS spacecraft.

The U.S. military has not yet finalized partners to finance follow-on satellites, said Air Force spokeswoman Christina Greer.