It's about time...
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| Powerful new military communications satellite to debut over Pacific |
| 2008-04-11 |
| I'm not sure where to put this because it's very military. The United States is set to start operating a powerful new military communications satellite over the Pacific next week, the first of a planned six-satellite network that will boost data flows 10-fold, the Air Force Space Command said Thursday. On its own, the maiden Boeing Co-built Wideband Global Satellite will provide more capacity for video, data and voice than the entire group of 10 or so satellites it is designed to replace, the command said. "We expect to start cutting over operational communications networks from the existing constellation to the new satellite next week," said Air Force Col. James Wolf, chief of the command's military satellite communications division. Australia joined the WGS program last year, providing funds that expanded it to include the sixth satellite, which had been an option under a contract awarded to Boeing in January 2001. Wolf said in an interview with Reuters that the commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, Admiral Timothy Keating, had asked to "take advantage of the increased capacity just as soon as he possibly could." He said he was unaware of any specific event that might have spurred such demand for the satellite, which will be in geostationary orbit over the western Pacific. "It's just a matter of they're out of Schlitz in the Pacific and they'd like to have some more," said Wolf, playing on an old commercial tagline, "When you're out of Schlitz, you're out of beer." Wideband Global Satellite is a joint Air Force and Army program intended to provide essential communications services to U.S. forces, allies and coalition partners. Australia's financial contribution gives it access to about 10 percent of WGS bandwidth, or transmission capacity, starting with the first satellite, Wolf said. No figure was immediately available for the cost to Australia. Launched in October, the first satellite must still undergo another three months or so of testing and evaluation even as it starts "real-world" operation, an unusual double duty, he said. "And we're able to do that based on how well the satellite has performed until now," Wolf said. Control of the satellite is to be handed Friday to the U.S. Strategic Command, which in turn will transfer it to the Pacific Command. The total cost of a six-satellite Wideband Global Satellite has been projected at $1.8 billion, Joseph Tedino, a Boeing spokesman, said last September. The constellation is due to be fully operational by 2012. The second and third satellites are scheduled to launch in August and December this year, respectively, with the others to be phased in so as to make full use of remaining life of the old Defense Support Communications Satellite constellation, Wolf said. |
| Posted by:gorb |
| #16 I resent that, Frank G. I'm certain my horses can deliver something that tastes better than Schlitz. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2008-04-11 19:52 |
| #15 Lest we fergit, the USDOD = USA is already working on MOON-BASED SPAWAR + COMWAR options. SKYNET as we + GOVERNATOR DA ARNUUULD know it could be obsolete, or more likely consolidated, before its even officially implemented or acknowledged. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-04-11 19:49 |
| #14 it was brewed? I thought horses figgered into the production process |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-04-11 19:03 |
| #13 Do they still brew Schlitz? |
| Posted by: Zorba Sletch9834 2008-04-11 18:27 |
| #12 It's about time... |
| Posted by: Taylor Dane 2008-04-11 13:45 |
| #11 They have already put the satellite into orbit, at least judging from the 7.5 "test" earthquake it caused yesterday in the Loyalty Islands. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-04-11 13:24 |
| #10 If these satillites are in geostationary orbit, they will be too high up to be vulnerable to anti-satillite missles. But not to other kinds of attack, ranging from earth-based lasers that cripple them to on-orbit suicide sats. |
| Posted by: lotp 2008-04-11 13:22 |
| #9 Does it have the gigawatt laser like I asked for? |
| Posted by: Chief Running Gag 2008-04-11 13:18 |
| #8 there are other comm sats supposedly out there in HEO or other orbits. My pref would be the "gnat cloud" in LEO of beach ball sized single purpose "grid" sats. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2008-04-11 12:53 |
| #7 gorb: "I'm not sure where to put this because it's very military" sheech gorb, it'sa s'posed to go in geosynchronous orbit! ~:) /muttering under his breath |
| Posted by: RD 2008-04-11 12:21 |
| #6 shout out to RB 'Puter Wizziards! Will our new Mil-Sat use WinDowz? [ima hope not] ~:> |
| Posted by: RD 2008-04-11 11:45 |
| #5 Lotp, If these satillites are in geostationary orbit, they will be too high up to be vulnerable to anti-satillite missles. Al |
| Posted by: Frozen Al 2008-04-11 11:21 |
| #4 Satellite vulnerability is an issue, but note that there will be a constellation of them worldwide. Plus there are other comms capabilities that can be brought to bear on the tactical battlefield. |
| Posted by: lotp 2008-04-11 09:40 |
| #3 When you're out of Schlitz, you're out of beer When you have Schlitz, you are out of beer... Glad to see more bandwidth coming online. My p0rn downloads were getting slow. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2008-04-11 09:16 |
| #2 Been sorely needed. Bandwidth demand for/from overhead things had jumped massively. Bet Indian Ocean is next geosync to come online. Lots of action there. Notice the origination date: 2001. It takes a while to put things like these on-line up in the sky. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2008-04-11 09:13 |
| #1 More bandwidth for more remotely operated UAVs? Seems fine enough for use in conflicts with third world countries but might be dangerously vulnerable in one with China or similar ('too many eggs in one basket?') |
| Posted by: Menhadden Snogum6713 2008-04-11 07:58 |