E-C-H-E-L-O-N  M-A-G-A-Z-I-N-E
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MILSTAR US MILITARY SATELLITE
- Simon Gray
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Milstar is a joint service satellite communications system that 
provides secure, jam resistant, worldwide communications to meet 
essential wartime requirements for high priority military users. The 
multi-satellite constellation will link command authorities with a wide
variety of resources, including ships, submarines, aircraft and ground 
stations. 

Milstar is the most advanced military communications satellite system 
to date and represents the future of U.S. communications capability. 
The operational Milstar satellite constellation will consist of four 
satellites positioned around the Earth in geosynchronous orbits. Each 
mid-latitude satellite weighs approximately 10,000 pounds, and has a 
design life of 10 years. The first Milstar satellite was launched 
February 7, 1994 aboard a Titan IV expendable launch vehicle. The 
second was launched November 5, 1995. Beginning with the third launch 
in 1999, the satellites will have greatly increased capacity because of
an additional medium data rate payload. A total of six launches are 
planned. 

Each Milstar satellite serves as a smart switchboard in space by 
directing traffic from terminal to terminal anywhere on the Earth. 
Since the satellite actually processes the communications signal and 
can link with other Milstar satellites through crosslinks, the 
requirement for ground controlled switching is significantly reduced. 
The satellite establishes, maintains, reconfigures and disassembles 
required communications circuits as directed by the users. Milstar 
terminals provide encrypted voice, data, teletype, or facsimile 
communications. A key goal of Milstar is to provide interoperable 
communications among the users of Army, Navy, and Air Force Milstar 
terminals. 

Geographically dispersed mobile and fixed control stations provide 
survivable and enduring operational command and control for the Milstar
constellation. 

The Milstar system is composed of three segments: space 
(the satellites), terminal (the users), and mission control. Air Force
Materiel Commands Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles AFB,
California, is responsible for development and acquisition of the 
Milstar space and mission control segments. Next, the Electronics 
Systems Center at Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts, is responsible for the 
Air Force portion of the terminal segment development and acquisition.
Additionally, the 4th Space Operations Squadron at Schriever AFB, 
Coloorado, is the front-line organization providing real-time satellite
platform control and communications payload management. 


Milstar Specifications 
======================
Weight:		Approximately 10,000 lbs. 
Orbit Altitude: 22,250 nautical miles (inclined geostationary orbit) 
Power Plant: 	Solar panels generating 8,000 watts 
Payload: 	Low data rate communications (voice, data, teletype and
 		facsimile) at 75 bps to 2,400 bps (All satellites) 
		Medium data rate communications (voice, data, teletype,
		facsimile) at 4.8 Kbps to 1.544 Mbps (Satellites 3 
		through 6 only) 
Primary Contractor: Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space 



