Washington, 23 feb ( EFE).-La Marina de Guerra United States will try tomorrow to the launch of its new MUOS-1 satellite, the first of a constellation of four artifacts that will enhance the military communications.
Two attempts to launch from the Air force in Cape Canaveral (Florida) – 16 and February 17 – station were suspended due to high winds and dense cover of clouds in the region.
The Atlas V rocket, which will boost the satellite to its orbit, will be held today at the launch pad and the departure is scheduled for the 22.15 GMT on Friday, according to sources of the Navy announced today.
The weather forecast this morning shows a 40 percent chance of favorable conditions for the launch.
Satellite MUOS (acronym in English that corresponds to “objective”system for mobile user) belongs to the next generation of tactical communications in narrow band system designed to provide for the American military, anywhere in the world, a ten times greater than the current communication skills.
Network MUOS will replace the current tactics in narrowband satellite communications system known as UFO (by “follow-up on ultra high frequency”). Two satellites of the network UFO stopped working several years ago.
The main contractor of the MUOS program is the Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Sunnyvale, California, firm which in 2004 was awarded a contract of $ 2.1 billion for the manufacture of the first two satellites and the elements of ground for the system control.
The contract included options for three other orbital devices, one of which would be in orbit as an alternate in case of failure of some of the other MUOS. With all its options contract for the manufacture of up to five satellites has a potential of $ 3,260 billion value.
Fifteen seconds after ignition, the five propellant rockets dispose of the Atlas V vehicle and will fall into the Atlantic Ocean.
After the burning of the fuel of other stages of the propulsion system, the Centaur stage will put the MUOS satellite initial orbit at 145 kilometers from Earth.
New shoving the Centaur stage and the separation of the satellite will leave it in the geosynchronous orbit planned 3,000 km of the Earth with an inclination of 19 degrees. EFE
