A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying the third Mobile User Objective System satellite for the U.S. Navy launched from Space Launch Complex-41 at 8:04 p.m. EST Jan 20.
Replacing the legacy Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Follow-On system, MUOS satellites have two payloads to ensure UHF narrowband communications accessibility and new capabilities. MUOS is a five-satellite constellation that comprises four ground stations across the globe, complex software to manage the network and a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) waveform that serves as an interface for end-user radios.
Two MUOS satellites, launched in 2012 and 2013, are already providing legacy communications capability from their geosynchronous orbit locations 22,000 miles above Earth.
From its vantage point in geostationary orbit, the MUOS-3 satellite will cover approximately a third of the Earth’s surface and use its 14-meter diameter reflecting mesh antenna to communicate with ground-based users.
The Navy plays a key role in national space efforts by providing narrowband satellite communications for the DoD and other government agencies. 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.
Additional imagery, videos and launch coverage can be found at the MUOS-3 webpage here http://www.public.navy.mil/spawar/Press/Pages/MUOS-3.aspx.
For more news from Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/spawar/.