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Army’s imaging satellite up and running, but its future is TBD
[SpaceNews] The Army experiment is being watched by the small satellite industry as a bellwether of where the military might be headed with this technology.How valuable is it for troops in the field to have their own dedicated source of satellite imagery and other space-based intelligence? That is a question officials hope to answer in upcoming military exercises where commanders will have an opportunity to test the Army’s newly deployed Kestrel Eye microsatellite. The Kestrel Eye Block IIM was sent into orbit in October from the International Space Station. “It is now operational,” said Dan Harkins, marketing manager at Adcole Maryland Aerospace, the satellite manufacturer. “We expect some images in the next few weeks,” Harkins said. Kestrel Eye is a $2 million project led by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command in Huntsville, Alabama. The Defense Department’s Space Test Program sponsored the satellite launch and deployment. SMDC spokesman Cecil Longino told SpaceNews that the 80kg satellite continues to undergo “on-orbit verification, validation and testing in preparation for late spring operational demonstrations with U.S. Pacific Command.” After a test period, SMDC “will continue to look for opportunities to demonstrate Kestrel Eye during Army exercises and potentially in support of crisis or contingency operations throughout the life of the spacecraft,” Longino said. The experiment is being watched by companies in the small satellite industry as a bellwether of where the military might be headed with this technology. Kestrel Eye is small but larger than the average tiny cubesat, designed to provide near real time imaging. Soldiers could access 1.5-meter resolution satellite imagery within minutes. Kestrel Eye was launched Aug. 14 as a payload aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of an International Space Station cargo resupply mission. It is orbiting 310 miles above Earth and is expected to operate for about two years. Posted by: 3dc 2018-02-23 |
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