The Space and Missile Systems Center’s Military Satellite Communications Systems Wing has announced the core propulsion module of the third Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite was shipped from Lockheed Martin at Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, and arrived safely at Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Sunnyvale, California. This milestone was accomplished six months ahead of schedule. The Lockheed Martin Space Systems team will start the installation of subsystem components directly related to the orbit transferring and station-keeping of the satellite. Upon delivery of the payload in February 2009, the third AEHF will undergo extensive side-by-side testing prior to satellite mate.
As one of the protected satellite programs at MILSATCOM, the AEHF system will be the follow-on to the Milstar system, augmenting and improving on the capabilities of Milstar, and expanding the MILSATCOM architecture. AEHF will provide connectivity across the spectrum of mission areas, including land, air and naval warfare; special operations; strategic nuclear operations; strategic defense; theater missile defense; and space operations and intelligence. The AEHF system is a joint service satellite communications system that provides global, secure, protected, and jam-resistant communications for high-priority military ground, sea and air assets. Once on orbit, the AEHF satellite system will consist of four satellites that will be in geosynchronous earth orbit, providing 10x the capacity of the 1990s-era Milstar satellites.
