USAF Readies for Launch of Milstar Communications Satellite

The U.S. Air Force is preparing to launch the last Milstar II communications satellite aboard a Titan IVB rocket from Cape Canaveral on 06-April-2003. Lockheed Martin Space Systems built the satellite and the launch vehicle. Milstar provides a "switchboard-in-space," enabling a network of satellites to replace ground relay stations. Four Milstar satellites are currently in orbit. This last Milstar satellite is the fourth to carry the Boeing Medium Data Rate (MDR) payload, which provides 32 channels for processing data at speeds up to 1.5 Mbps. Increased data rates can be used for applications such as distribution of air tasking orders and targeting updates to military forces. The spacecraft also features the Low Data Rate (LDR) payload, built by Northrop Grumman Space Technology (formerly TRW Space and Electronics). Lockheed Martin is also under contract to develop the Department of Defense's next generation of highly secure communications satellite known as the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) system.
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