MUOS-3 satellite starts responding
The third Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite, which was launched by the US Navy on 20 January, has started responding to commands. The satellite was built by Lockheed Martin.
An initialisation team led by the company is operating the MUOS-3 satellite from the naval satellite operations centre located at the naval base at Ventura County, Point Mugu, California.
The MUOS satellite constellation operates like a smart phone network in the sky, vastly improving current secure mobile satellite communications for warfighters on the move. Unlike previous systems, MUOS provides users an on-demand, beyond-line-of-sight capability to transmit and receive high-quality, prioritised voice and mission data, on a high-speed Internet Protocol-based system.
Iris Bombelyn, vice president of narrowband communications, Lockheed Martin, said: 'The addition of this satellite will give the MUOS constellation coverage over more than three-quarters of the globe, further extending the reach of the advanced communications capabilities MUOS will provide our mobile warfighters.'
MUOS-3 will transition over the next nine days to reach its geosynchronous orbit location 22,000 miles above the Earth. The solar arrays and antennas will then be deployed, and in-orbit testing will start for subsequent turn-over to the navy for test and commissioning to service.
The MUOS constellation is expected to provide warfighters full global coverage before the end of 2015. MUOS-4 is on track to launch later in 2015. The fourth and final required MUOS ground station also is expected to be delivered to the navy early in 2015.
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