Titan Successfully Launches Milstar 2-3

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Titan Successfully Launches Milstar 2-3

More Information:

A Titan 4B/Centaur successfully launched a U.S. Air Force Milstar 2-3 satellite from Cape Canaveral, LC 40, at 0030 UTC (4:30 p.m. PST January 15) on January 16.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for theUS$800 million 4537 kg (10,000 lbm) military satellite communications system. The satellite system provides the U.S. Department of Defense with reliable, secure, jam-proof communications between fixed-site, mobile, and portable terminals.

The Milstar satellite constellation provides protected, global communication links for the joint forces of the U.S. military and can transmit voice, data, and imagery, in addition to offering video teleconferencing capabilities. This Milstar launch will increase the Milstar constellation's capability to provide near-global coverage for U.S. strategic forces, Air Force's space warning assets and operationally deployed military forces. Milstar communicates via terminals that are compatible among all the military services, including shipborn, man-portable, vehicle-mounted and carried in command and control aircraft. Milstar is used for communications among ships, submarines and land-based Naval stations via Navy Extremely High Frequency Satellite Communications Program terminals. The system provides communications networks to Army units via the Secure Mobile Anti-Jam Reliable Tactical Terminals mounted on vehicles, and to individual troops and small units from the Single Channel Anti-Jam Man-Portable terminals. For the Air Force, the Milstar system provides links for Air Force Command Post Terminals. The Milstar team is led by the MILSATCOM Joint Program Office at the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif.

With the launch of this fifth Milstar, the planned constellation of four spacecraft will be complete. The fully operational Advanced EHF constellation consists of four crosslinked satellites providing coverage of the Earth from 65 degrees north latitude to 65 degrees south. One satellite, Milstar 2-1, was lost, left in a useless orbit. A sixth, and final, Milstar satellite is scheduled for launch in November 2002. The fifth satellite can be used as a spare or to provide additional capability to the envisioned constellation.

The US$453 million Titan 4B launch vehicle was built by Lockheed Martin, under contract to the U.S. Air Force. This is the first Titan 4 launch of 2002, with three more planned. Two additional Titan 4 launches are planned in 2003, at which time the rocket will be retired, to be replaced by the Delta 4 Heavy.

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January 15, 2002