ULA Launches First National Security Mission On Vulcan Centaur Rocket (space.com)
(Wednesday August 13, 2025 @03:30AM (BeauHD)
from the mission-accomplished dept.)
- Reference: 0178661802
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/08/13/0724221/ula-launches-first-national-security-mission-on-vulcan-centaur-rocket
- Source link: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/watch-vulcan-centaur-rocket-launch-experimental-military-satellite-on-aug-12
United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur rocket [1]successfully completed its first-ever national security mission , launching the U.S. military's first experimental navigation satellite in 48 years. Space.com reports:
> The mission saw the company's powerful new Vulcan Centaur rocket take off from Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Vulcan launched with four side-mounted solid rocket boosters in order to generate enough thrust to send its payload directly into geosynchronous orbit on one of ULA's longest flights ever, a seven-hour journey that will span over 22,000 miles (35,000 kilometers), according to ULA.
>
> The payload launching on Tuesday's mission was the U.S. military's first experimental navigation satellite to be launched in 48 years. It is what's known as a position, navigation and timing (PNT) satellite, a type of spacecraft that provides data similar to that of the well-known GPS system. This satellite will be testing many experimental new technologies that are designed to make it resilient to jamming and spoofing, according to Andrew Builta with L3Harris Technologies, the prime contractor for the PNT payload integrated onto a satellite bus built by Northrop Grumman.
>
> The satellite, identified publicly only as Navigation Technology Satellite-3 (NTS-3), features a phased array antenna that allows it to "focus powerful beams to ground forces and combat jamming environments," Builta said in a media roundtable on Monday (Aug. 11). GPS jamming has become an increasingly worrisome problem for both the U.S. military and commercial satellite operators, which is why this spacecraft will be conducting experiments to test how effective these new technologies are at circumventing jamming attacks. In addition, the satellite features a software architecture that allows it to be reprogrammed while in orbit. "This is a truly game-changing capability," Builta said.
[1] https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/watch-vulcan-centaur-rocket-launch-experimental-military-satellite-on-aug-12
> The mission saw the company's powerful new Vulcan Centaur rocket take off from Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Vulcan launched with four side-mounted solid rocket boosters in order to generate enough thrust to send its payload directly into geosynchronous orbit on one of ULA's longest flights ever, a seven-hour journey that will span over 22,000 miles (35,000 kilometers), according to ULA.
>
> The payload launching on Tuesday's mission was the U.S. military's first experimental navigation satellite to be launched in 48 years. It is what's known as a position, navigation and timing (PNT) satellite, a type of spacecraft that provides data similar to that of the well-known GPS system. This satellite will be testing many experimental new technologies that are designed to make it resilient to jamming and spoofing, according to Andrew Builta with L3Harris Technologies, the prime contractor for the PNT payload integrated onto a satellite bus built by Northrop Grumman.
>
> The satellite, identified publicly only as Navigation Technology Satellite-3 (NTS-3), features a phased array antenna that allows it to "focus powerful beams to ground forces and combat jamming environments," Builta said in a media roundtable on Monday (Aug. 11). GPS jamming has become an increasingly worrisome problem for both the U.S. military and commercial satellite operators, which is why this spacecraft will be conducting experiments to test how effective these new technologies are at circumventing jamming attacks. In addition, the satellite features a software architecture that allows it to be reprogrammed while in orbit. "This is a truly game-changing capability," Builta said.
[1] https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/watch-vulcan-centaur-rocket-launch-experimental-military-satellite-on-aug-12
Always nice to see a launch (Score:1)
But ULA (or its successor) really needs reusable capability of they will remain a minor player.
[1]https://spacestatsonline.com/l... [spacestatsonline.com]
Only seven US launches were not SpaceX.
[1] https://spacestatsonline.com/launches/year/2024
Re: (Score:1)
Whose idea is it to have SatNav assets in GeoSync?
Re:Always nice to see a launch (Score:5, Insightful)
It might not be a great orbit for a part of the GPS constellation, but those satellites are only visible above the horizon for about six hours each, twice a day. Great for a network that covers the globe but not ideal for testing.
I'm guessing the geostationary orbit was selected to provide a location that is always visible for testing. Testing new frequencies, modulations, encrypted timing, reprogramming, (spread spectrum? frequency hopping? agile polarization? beam shaping?).
For a prototype and proof of concept I think a geostationary orbit provides a first step for testing. Perhaps the next version will be in a polar orbit to test atmospheric interference, propagation delays, and stage two beam steering?
Re:Always nice to see a launch (Score:4, Insightful)
> I'm guessing the geostationary orbit was selected to provide a location that is always visible for testing.
Just a nitpick, but the article said geosynchronous, not geostationary. Both are 24-hour orbits, but geosynchronous orbits can be inclined or elliptical, as opposed to geostationary which are circular directly over the equator. Geostationary satellites appear to be in a fixed position in the sky, but geosynchronous satellites appear to move about over a 24 hour period.
Re: (Score:2)
There are other navigation satellites in geo synch orbit run by India and Japan for example. So this is not all new.