Boeing [NYSE: BA] reports the U.S. Air Force has placed the first Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellite into operation over the Pacific region. The Boeing-built satellite transitioned to operations on April 16th, following extensive satellite and ground system tests conducted by the government, with support from Boeing engineers. WGS is the first operational SATCOM system supporting the government’s transformational communications architecture. Each satellite has the capacity to transmit information at rates of more than three gigabits per second. This is more than 10x the capacity of the government’s Defense Satellite Communications System, known as DSCS, making it the highest capacity Department of Defense communications satellite on orbit. In addition, WGS is also the world’s first satellite to incorporate multi-beam X-band communications through phased array antennas, and the first satellite capable of cross-banding signals between X-band and Ka-band. During operational testing last month, the government successfully transmitted a record-breaking 440 megabits-per-second communications test signal through the satellite. WGS-1 was launched October 10th, 2007, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Base, Florida, aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V launch vehicle.
“The successful launch, checkout and handover of WGS-1 went smoothly and is a testament to the great work of the combined government and contractor team,” said Brig. Gen. Susan Mashiko, Commander of the Military Satellite Communications Systems Wing at the Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center in Los Angeles. “The performance of this first WGS satellite is nothing short of exceptional.” . . . We concur—St. Louis, Missouri
