posted 02-23-2014 11:11 AM               

The spacecraft were developed covertly by the Air Force and Orbital Sciences under the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSAP), according to service officials.

The first two spacecraft will be boosted this year with two more to follow in 2016 to prevent a gap in surveillance on activities in the geosynchronous belt, Shelton said at the annual Air Force Association Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando. This is where commercial satellite communications are based, as well as critical national security assets such as the Space-Based Infrared System (Sbirs) early missile warning system and Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) constellation designed to provide jam-proof communications for the president even during a nuclear event.

"One cheap shot" against Sbirs or AEHF would be "devastating" to the Pentagon's capabilities, Shelton said of a potential anti-satellite attack.

The two GSAP satellites will "drift" above and below the GEO belt, using electro-optical sensors to collect information on satellites and other objects in that region, Shelton said. They will be maneuverable, allowing them to be "tasked," much like reconnaissance aircraft, to collect intelligence on specific targets, he said. The satellites will provide "accurate tracking and characterization" of satellites, according to an Air Force fact sheet released after Shelton's speech here.

posted 07-29-2014 08:46 AM               

United Launch Alliance Marks 85th Successful Launch by Delivering Three Satellites into Orbit for the U.S. Air Force

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV rocket successfully launched the AFSPC-4 mission for the U.S. Air Force on July 28 at 7:28 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-37. This is ULA's eighth launch in 2014, and the 85th successful launch since the company was formed in December 2006.

"The ULA team is proud to have delivered the twin Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) spacecraft to orbit today," said Jim Sponnick, ULA vice president, Atlas and Delta Programs. "We are privileged to work with a top notch U.S. government and contractor mission team that is committed to mission success."

This mission was launched aboard a Delta IV Medium-plus (4,2) configuration Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) using a single ULA common booster core powered by an Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-68 main engine, along with two ATK GEM-60 solid rocket motors. The upper stage was powered by an Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10B-2 engine, with the satellite encapsulated in a 4-meter-diameter composite payload fairing.

In addition to the two GSSAP satellites delivered to near-geosyn­chronous orbit, the secondary payload, Automated Navigation and Guidance Experiment for Local Space (ANGELS) satellite is managed by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

"This launch marks the first EELV secondary payload adapter (ESPA) to launch on a Delta rocket," said Sponnick. "This mission represents an excellent utilization of rideshare capabilities that has enabled a low-cost way for the AFRL ANGELS team to flight demonstrate future spacecraft technologies."

The twin GSSAP spacecraft will support U.S. Strategic Command space surveillance operations as a dedicated Space Surveillance Network sensor. The GSSAP will also support Joint Functional Component Command for Space to collect space situ­ational awareness data, allowing for more accurate tracking and characterization of man-made orbiting objects. ANGELS examines techniques for providing a clearer picture of the environment surrounding our nation's vital space assets.

posted 07-29-2014 01:57 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
The article notes that declassification was cleared, in part, to provide a deterrent effect to adversaries.

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