Milstar

Customer
U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif.

Prime Contractor & System Manager
Lockheed Martin Space Systems - Sunnyvale, Calif.

Background
Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for Milstar, a military satellite communications system that provides the National Command Authorities, Department of Defense and operational forces with reliable, secure, jam-proof communications between fixed-site, mobile and portable terminals.

The Milstar system is composed of three segments: The space segment, comprising four satellites to complete a ring constellation; the terminal segment, consisting of communications terminals installed on ships, submarines, aircraft and vehicles; and the mission control segment, based at Shriever Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Milstar is the first satellite communications system of any kind that uses signal processing algorithms on the satellites, allowing commanders from every service to establish customized networks within minutes. Current networks must be configured on the ground, require multiple remote locations, and can take weeks to establish using existing commercial and military systems.

Of the five Milstar satellites that constitute the constellation, two are of the first-generation Block I design that were launched in 1994 and 1995. Block I satellites feature a low data rate payload built by TRW Space and Electronics, El Segundo, Calif., and two crosslink antennas built by Boeing Satellite Systems, El Segundo, Calif. Both Milstar I spacecraft, DFS-1 and DFS-2, were launched on Lockheed Martin Titan boosters from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Fla.

In the post-Cold War era, the system graduated to a new Block II design and the Air Force transitioned to the Block II configuration with the successful launch of the first Milstar II satellite in Feb. 2001. The Block II system offers a variety of enhanced communications features for the U.S. military, including added security through the use of specially designed antennas and faster data-rate transmissions for all users. Milstar II satellites carry the medium data rate (MDR) payload provided by Boeing Satellite Systems, which can process data at speeds of 1.5 megabits per second. A second Milstar II satellite was launched in January 2002, providing the critical capability to connect satellites in a ring configuration encircling the earth. The last satellite, also a Milstar II, is the third to carry the MDR payload, and is schedule for launch in January 2003 aboard a Lockheed Martin-built Titan IVB/Centaur launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

Milstar communicates via terminals that are compatible with all the military services, including shipborne, man-portable, vehicle-mounted and carried in command and control aircraft. Each terminal transmits voice and data in the Extremely High Frequency (EHF) spectrum and receives voice and data in the Super High Frequency (SHF) spectrum.

The combination of data rates and operational frequencies provides U.S. military forces with capabilities not available on current Defense Satellite Communications System satellites or by commercial systems. These capabilities include immunity to jamming and interception and increased mobility for sea, air and ground forces. The Milstar satellite provides enhanced communication security by frequency hopping -- a first for communication satellites.

The Milstar program is acquired by the MILSATCOM Joint Program Office, Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, at Los Angeles AFB, CA. Once the satellite is deployed and initialized, operational control is transferred to the 4th Space Operations Squadron (4SOPS), Air Force Space Command, at Scheiver Air Force Base, CO.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor. TRW Space and Electronics Group provides the low data rate payload. Boeing Satellite Systems provides the medium data rate payload for Milstar Block II satellites and all crosslink subsystems. Lockheed Martin Space Systems - Denver Operations provides the Titan IV/Centaur launch vehicle. Milstar launches are a joint operation between the 45th Space Wing, Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. and Space and Missile Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.

Space Systems Company
12257 S. Wadsworth Blvd.
Littleton, CO 80125-8500
(303) 977-3000

CONTACT
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