 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Atlas II Launches Defense Bird
San Diego - January 20, 2000 - An Atlas rocket lit up the Florida sky tonight with the successful launch of the Defense Satellite Communications System III (DSCS III) satellite for the U.S. Air Force. Liftoff occurred at 8:03 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, followed by successful spacecraft separation from the launch vehicle just under a half hour later. The launch was conducted by a combined team of Lockheed Martin, the United States Air Force and International Launch Services (ILS). "The partnership between Atlas and the U.S. Air Force reaches back into the earliest days of the space program," said Dr. Mark J. Albrecht, ILS President. "It is fitting that we should begin the new year with a successful Atlas launch performed by the Lockheed Martin and USAF team, which has been so instrumental in Atlas successes over the years." With tonight's AC-138/DSCS B8 launch, Atlas II and IIA vehicles have achieved 100% mission success with a tally of 27 successful flights. The string of consecutive successful Atlas launches now stands at 47, one of the best in the industry. Tonight's successful launch deploys the seventh in the series of DSCS III satellites on the Atlas, and the eleventh DSCS III satellite overall for the USAF. All six previous DSCS III satellites were launched successfully on Atlas starting with the first in February of 1992. The original contract for launch services was signed under the Air Force's Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV II) program. One Atlas launch remains in the MLV II program as well as 15 future flights for the U.S. Air Force utilizing Atlas IIAS, III and V from both East Coast and West Coast launch sites.
Atlas and the Centaur upper stages are built by Lockheed Martin Astronautics at facilities in Denver, Colo.; San Diego, Calif.; and Harlingen, Texas. Major suppliers to the Atlas program include Rocketdyne, a division of Boeing North American, located in Canoga Park, Calif., Atlas MA-5A engine; Pratt & Whitney, located in West Palm Beach, Fla., Centaur upper stage RL-10 engines; Honeywell Space Systems of Clearwater, Fla., inertial navigation unit; and Marconi Integrated Systems, San Diego, Calif., avionics systems. Launch operations are provided by Lockheed Martin Astronautics at Complex 36, Cape Canaveral. Mission management is provided by International Launch Services (ILS), San Diego, Calif., formed in 1995 to jointly market Atlas and the Russian-built Proton launch services to the international and domestic satellite industry.
Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Space
Satellite Launch To Boost DTH In India
Calcutta, India (SPX) Dec 28, 2005The successful launch Thursday of India's heaviest satellite from spaceport of Kourou in French Guyana may have boosted the country's space research efforts to yet another level, but it has also lifted the spirits of at least three Direct-To-Home televisions broadcasters, one of which has been waiting for years to launch its services in India. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
The DSCS B8 satellite will provide high-priority communications for globally distributed military users. It carries the first DSCS III Service Life Enhancement Program package, which provides a 200% increase in tactical communications capability. DSCS 7 was assembled by Lockheed Martin at its satellite building facility in Sunnyvale, Calif.