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Titan
4B Successfully Launches Milstar 2-4
A
Titan 4B successfully launched Milstar 2-4 from Cape Canaveral,
pad LC40, at 13:43 UTC on April 8. This is the 6th, and
last, Military Strategic and Tactical Relay Satellite to be built
by Lockheed Martin for the USAF. The first Milstar was launched in
1994. It will be operated by the U.S. Strategic Command, providing
secure communications between senior U.S. leaders and military
forces around the world.
Milstar
is the world's most secure, nuclear survivable, space-based
communications system. The Milstar spacecraft perform processing
and network routing in space, eliminating the need for land-based
relay stations, thus reducing the chances of communications being
intercepted on the ground.
The
4537 kg (10,000 lbm) spacecraft is expected to have 5.000 kW of
power at EOL (end-of-life), with a design life of 10 years. The
satellite is expected to become operational in 45 – 60 days. The
satellite’s operational location in geostationary orbit has not
been announced. The satellite cost US$800 million and the launch
was priced at US$461 million.
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