wgs satellite coverage map

Boeing illustration. The WGS system is a constellation of highly capable military communications satellites that leverage cost-effective methods and technological advances in the communications satellite industry. Chance Saltzman in a weekend address to Air, The recently-concluded Juniper Oak, an all domain exercise carried out from Jan. 23-26, was the largest U.S.-Israel partnered exercise in history, according to U.S. Central Command. A total of 19 independent coverage areas that can be used throughout the field of view of each satellite. The final contract for this satellite was awarded in September 2011, together with long lead items for WGS8 and an option for WGS9. SpaceX is developing a low latency, broadband internet system to meet the needs of consumers across the globe. "[4] WGS operations are currently run by the 4th Space Operations Squadron, out of Schriever Space Force Base, as well as the 53rd Space Operations Squadron. The Wideband Gapfiller Satellites are the DoD's most capable and powerful communication satellite. The versatile reachback capability offered by the STAR-T/WGS combination strongly supports force-projection operations emphasized in both the Army's transformation strategy and Joint Vision 2020. Boeing conducted a ground test for a Ka-band SATCOM antenna system for installation in the spacecraft in January 2011. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The WGS system provides essential wideband global communicationsservices allowing Combatant Commanders to exert command and controlof their tactical forces, from peace time to military operations. directed the acquisition of two additional WGS satellites. 1 priority in 2022, with proliferated constellations of satellites a focus of this program to ensure systems remain operable even if some elements are lost. The new satellite was procured under the WGS Block II Follow-On contract which included options for production of up to six WGS satellites. The WGS-1 was launched into orbit on 10 October 2007 on the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V launch vehicle. The engine provides a specific impulse of 312s, has a thrust to weight ratio of 13.7 and operates at a chamber pressure of 6.9 bar. With an initial launch scheduled for mid-2004 aboard an Air Force Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle, WGS will provide early transformational capabilities supporting government objectives for a Transformational Communications Architecture in 2009 and beyond. The US Air Force extended the order value to $1.09bn in September 2011 to facilitate the production, launch and on-orbit activation of the seventh satellite and to procure the long lead materials for an eighth WGS satellite. Get your daily fix of Air Force news delivered right to your inbox every day. Payload commanding and network control are managed by the armys 53rd Signal Battalion at Peterson AFB, Colorado, with subordinate elements at seven locations. WGS augments other satellites. WGS 8, launched in 2016, marks the first in the Modified Block II satellites, hosting an upgraded digital channelizer which enables a 90% improvement in available bandwidth compared to previous WGS spacecraft. Block I contains WGS-1, WGS-2 and WGS-3 satellites, while block II satellites include WGS-4, WGS-5 and WGS-6. Once the full constellation of 6 WGS satellites is operational, they will replace the DSCS system. funding by $272.9M to ensure funding of the complete constellation of three satellites. WGS-9, set for liftoff in March 2017, represents the international contribution to the program with funding for the satellite provided by Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and New Zealand in exchange for access to bandwidth from the entire global constellation. It is positioned over the Eastern Atlantic at an orbital slot of 12> West longitude to operate in the Atlantic region. After launch, the WGS-1 satellite was given the U.S. military designation USA-195. The latitude and longitude are assumed to be on the WGS 84 datum. The dashed part of the orbit path shows where the satellite is in the earth's shadow, [3] According to United Launch Alliance, quoted on Spaceflight Now, "A single WGS spacecraft has as much bandwidth as the entire existing DSCS constellation. The Global Broadcast Service [GBS] augments and interfaces with other communications systems to provide a continuous, high-speed, one-way flow of high-volume information supporting routine operations, training and military exercises, special activities, crisis, situational awareness, weapons targeting, intelligence, and the transition to and conduct of operations short of nuclear war. Users of WGS include the U.S., Canada and Australia. The WGS satellite delivers 19 independent coverage areas divided in eight steerable/shapeable X-Band beams delivered by separate transmit and receive arrays, ten steerable Ka-Band beams provided by ten independently steerable dish antennas and one X-Band Earth Coverage beam. Ion thrusters generate thrust by accelerating ions through the use of an electric field and ejecting these ions at extremely high velocity creating thrust force propelling the spacecraft forward. Telemetry and command links are available via X- and Ka-Band. Other improvements involve uniquely shaping the terrestrial footprint of the beams for smaller footprints that are less susceptible to jamming. The Worldwide Reference System (WRS) is a global notation system for Landsat data. The Gapfiller satellites must either be backward compatible with, or allow for the affordable upgrade of, the existing terminal populations in use with the DSCS and GBS systems. High-capacity military communications satellite, 39 125-MHz Channels via digital channeliser/router. . Credit: Boeing. A joint-service program funded by the U.S. Air Force and Army, WGS includes options for up to six BSS-702 satellites and their associated spacecraft and payload control equipment. Due to the early loss of a MILSTAR satellite, DOD committed to the purchase of 4 AEHF satellites plus one spare. The WGS consists of two segments. The third Space Operations Squadron (SOPS) located at Schriever AFB, Colorado, US, manages bus commanding of the DSCS constellation. The WGS-4 was launched atop the same vehicle and at the same location in January 2012 and was accepted by the US Air Force in April 2012. It enables a user to inquire about satellite imagery over any portion of the world by specifying a nominal scene center designated by PATH and ROW numbers. WGS systems feature digitally channelised transponder satellites that provide communication capacity, connectivity and flexibility to the US military forces. CENTCOM, Photos: F-22s Deploy to Tinian for First Time as Part of ACE Exercise, In Message to Force, Austin Touts Once-in-a-Generation Investments, Heres What USAFs Science Board Is Studying Now, Were Weird: New Commander Details Life Inside Task Force 99, Top Pentagon Official: Chinas Air Actions Are Dangerous and Destabilizing, Saltzman Unveils Theory of Success as Space Force Debates Future, Senators Launch New Drive for Space National Guard, Keys to Space Resilience: Its More Than Orbits, Says DODs Plumb, Backdoor to Attack Satellites: CSO Sees Cyber Risks in Space Force Ground Systems, Saltzman: Were in a Race to Build Combat Credibility Before Were Put to the Test, Photos: US-Israel Conclude Massive Exercise with F-35s, B-52s, and More, Keep It Simple, StupidSenior Military Space Leaders Focus on Streamlining Acquisition, US, Israel Kick off Massive Exercise with 142 Aircraft, Satellites, and More. WGS 10 (USA 291) is the 10th Wideband Global SATCOM satellite, the fourth Block II follow-on satellite, and supports communications links in the X-band and Ka-band spectra. Step 2. In return, the Australian Defence Ministry was given access to the data sent by the sixth satellite, which was developed to increase the bandwidth capacity of US forces. The Wideband Global SATCOM system (WGS) is a high capacity United States Space Force satellite communications system planned for use in partnership by the United States Department of Defense (DoD), Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) and the Australian Department of Defence. The first three WGS satellites are known as the Block I Group of Satellites that were part of the initial deal with Boeing signed in January 2002. Boeing added extra solar panels to their original design, which added weight and changed the class of EELV. Delivers IP-based voice, video, and data networking Set up and point the terminal in 30 minutes or less Ruggedized, packable, lightweight terminal With a simple feed-arm swap, the Viasat MMT operates over commercial Ku-, WGS Ka-, ViaSat-1 and ViaSat-2 Ka-, and commercially available X-band constellations. The WGS Fleet is controlled by four Army Wideband Satellite Operation Centers that receive telemetry and send commands to up to three satellites per center. It provides services to the US Department of Defense and the Ministry of Defense for Canada as well as other Government and Allied users under unstressed conditions. The Army is acquiring the ground control segment and the WGS-10 (USA-291) was launched atop a Delta IV Medium+ (5,4) launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on 16 March 2019, at 02:26 UTC. [9][10] Originally, the second spacecraft was to fly on the Delta IV M+ (5,4), and the third on the Atlas V 421, but they were switched for an undisclosed reason.[11]. The Wideband Gapfiller Satellite (WGS) will provide unprecedented X-band user coverage flexibility with two digitally controlled multibeam phased array antennas. These satellites have a much smaller coverage fraction f than does GPS, typically limited by a sensor's field of view. To take advantage of WGS' increased capabilities, STAR-T was upgraded by adding a fourth band (Ka), making it a quad-band terminal. The end users of the communication services provided by the WGS are described by the DoD as the terminal segment. Each WGS satellite provides service in both the X and Ka frequency bands, with the unprecedented ability to cross-band between the two frequencies onboard the satellite. Around 500MHz of X-band and 1GHz Ka-band spectrum is allocated to WGS. The WGS payload. A statement said WGS-11+ will have more communications flexibility than the entire existing WGS constellationreferring to the new satellites numerous coverage beamswith twice the mission capability in contested environments.. Boeing successfully launched the WGS-2 into geostationary orbit on the Atlas V in April 2009. The new satellite is destined to join a constellation of 10 other WGS satellites in high geosynchronous Earth orbits providing communications to deployed forces. The contract was worth $160.3m and was extendible up to $1.3bn. Sens. The SATCOM Office provide SATCOM SystemExpert (SSE) support and functions to USSPACECOM and utilizes fourRegional SATCOM Support Centers (RSSCs) to provide global planning andoperational support to the various WGS user communities Boeings team agreed to supply the satellites, spacecraft and payload control equipment under the deal, as well as logistics, training and sustained engineering support. The U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center is harnessing advanced satellite communication technology from the private sector through the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) 11+ platform and its Pathfinder effort.The WGS-11+ effort is centered on capabilities that will provide more coverage beams, beam-formed bandwidth and frequency re-use than existing legacy systems, according to a release . The Block II satellites are similar to the three Block I satellites already in production. This will placed greater dependency on Wideband Gapfiller, Global Broadcast System, and leases. Users of the WGS system include the Australian Defence Force and the US Army ground mobile terminals, the US Navy ships and submarines, and national command authorities for the nuclear forces, in addition to various national security/allied national forces. WGS is based on Boeings BSS-702HP satellite platform, the high-power configuration of the 702 bus that can support the most powerful communications payloads with state of the art onboard systems including precise pointing capability and the use of flight-proven components and built-in redundancy to ensure the satellite meets its in-orbit lifetime of 15 years. WGS also augments the current Ka-band Global Broadcast Service (on UHF F/O satellites) by providing additional information broadcast capabilities as well as providing new two-way capability on that band.