Harris reflectors deploy on MUOS-4
The unfurlable mesh antenna reflectors on-board the fourth Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite have successfully deployed, Harris Corporation announced on 4 November.
The reflectors, developed by Harris, are a key technology for the five-satellite MUOS constellation. Harris has built ten reflectors for the constellation, with two carried on each satellite: one 14m diameter unit for multiple-beam operation that significantly increases the number of users and traffic the system can support, and one 5.4m diameter unit for legacy operations. The gold mesh reflectors are secured to the satellite by Harris precision booms.
MUOS will vastly improve secure satellite communications for mobile forces. It will provide users an on-demand, beyond-line-of-sight capability to simultaneously transmit and receive high-quality, prioritised voice and mission data, on a high-speed IP-based network.
With this fourth satellite, MUOS will provide near-global coverage at 16 times the capacity while continuing to support the legacy UFO system.
Bill Gattle, president, Harris Space and Intelligence Systems, said: ‘This successful on-orbit deployment validates the unique design and flexibility of our mesh reflectors. We remain committed to meeting the needs of the MUOS programme, which will ensure that our warfighters have the most advanced communications technology.’
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