The Navy’s third of a new constellation of satellites designed to allow mobile warfighters to communicate in beyond-the-line-of-sight scenarios has been successfully launched into orbit, the service said.
The Mobile User Objective System, or MUOS, satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral the evening of Jan. 20 shortly after 8 p.m. aboard an Atlas V rocket, joining two others in space that are already operational. Builder Lockheed Martin [LMT] is under contract to provide five MUOS satellites.
MUOS is replacing the Ultra High Frequency Follow-On System constellation and is designed to offer 10 times greater communications capacity. It’s a next generation narrow-band tactical system and is intended provide secure voice and data communications across the Navy, Marine Corps, Army and Air Force.
It employs a high-speed internet protocol-based system and is said to operate like a cell phone tower in the sky, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR), which is buying the satellites, said.
“This communications satellite will significantly improve capability for Navy and Department of Defense tactical operators,” SPAWAR said.
MUOS-3 will over the next several days move into its planned orbit at 22,000 miles above Earth and will undergo testing before becoming operational.
“This MUOS-3 launch is another major milestone to achieving the next generation of global tactical satellite communications capability for the Department of Defense,” Navy Capt. Joe Kan, program manager for MUOS, said.
The next steps are to connect MUOS-3 to various systems to ensure it’s working properly, Jim Parsons, the MUOS technical director, said.
“Right now we need to ensure the system works end-to-end,” Parsons said. “We’re in the process of doing that by connecting an Army radio program, an Army waveform development program, our Navy satellites and ground system and DoD teleports to ensure that all elements work together as designed.”
Contractor United Launch Alliance (ULA) carried out the launch. ULA is a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing [BA], and is separate from the MUOS program.