 An Atlas V launch vehicle carrying the U.S. Navy's fifth Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) communications satellite lifts off from Space Complex 41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. MUOS is the next-generation narrow band tactical satellite communications system designed to significantly improve beyond-line-of-sight communications for U.S. forces on the move. Image courtesy US Navy photo courtesy of United Launch Alliance. For a larger version of this image please go here. |
The fifth Mobile User Objective System satellite, which successfully launched aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 on June 24, was projected to reach its geosynchronous orbit and enter its test location 22,000 miles above Hawaii by July 3.
The satellite experienced an anomaly that required the transfer maneuver to be temporarily halted.
The Navy's Program Executive Office for Space Systems has reconfigured the satellite from orbital transfer into a stabilized, safe intermediate orbit to allow the MUOS team to evaluate the situation and determine options for proceeding.
MUOS-5 was launched as an on-orbit spare to provide immediate redundancy to the MUOS constellation, which is performing nominally. MUOS-5 is an on-orbit spare, and delay in reaching its test location will have no impact upon current legacy or Wideband Code Division Multiple Access satellite communications operations.
MUOS-1 through MUOS-4 are now in orbit and supporting operations via their legacy payloads that provide ultra high frequency satellite communications for the Department of Defense.
The Navy's Program Executive Office for Space Systems, located at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command in San Diego, is responsible for the MUOS program.
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