Category: Satellites

FUSE lift off in 1999. Image credit: NASA/KSC Click to enlarge
NASA’s Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer astronomy satellite is back in full operation, its aging onboard software control system rejuvenated and its mission extended by enterprising scientists and engineers after a near-death experience in December 2004.

Observations with the orbiting telescope resumed Nov. 1, 2005, about ten months after the third of four onboard reaction wheels, used to precisely point the spacecraft and hold it steady, stopped spinning. After two months of experience tweaking the new control system in November and December, FUSE operations returned in January to a level of efficiency comparable to earlier in the mission, mission managers said.

“It’s really a level of performance that we never thought we would see again,” said William Blair (pictured at right), a research professor in physics and astronomy at Johns Hopkins and FUSE’s chief of observatory operations. “The old satellite still has some spunk.”

FUSE was launched in June 1999. Late in 2001, two of the reaction wheels failed in quick succession, leaving the satellite temporarily unusable. That time, science operations were successfully resumed within about two months through a modification of flight control software and development of a creative new technique to establish fine pointing control.

“The project aggressively pursued a similar track this time, but it was even harder with just one operational reaction wheel,” said George Sonneborn, FUSE project scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. “Some people would say what we’re doing is nearly impossible.”

Initially, at least three reaction wheels were required for the spacecraft to conduct its scientific mission. The revised control mode developed in 2001 utilized the two remaining reaction wheels and drafted the satellite’s magnetic torquer bars into the effort to provide control in all three axes. The MTBs (essentially, controllable electromagnets) apply forces on the satellite by interacting with Earth’s magnetic field. Now, the FUSE control system has been modified again to use magnetic control on two axes, which provides a tenuous but acceptable level of control in place of the missing reaction wheels.

“It’s like we had three strong muscles originally, and could point FUSE wherever we wanted to,” Blair said. “Now we have to control the pointing with one strong muscle and two weak muscles. The revised control software is like a good physical therapist, teaching the satellite to compensate.”

Since its launch, FUSE has obtained more than 52 million seconds of science data on everything from planets and comets in our solar system to distant quasars and active galaxies, and every major class of object in between. This information, compiled in the form of spectrographs rather than visual images, provides astronomers with details about the physical properties and characteristics of objects, from temperatures and densities to chemical makeup.

Observations from the satellite have been used to discover an extended, tenuous halo of very hot gas surrounding our Milky Way galaxy, and have found evidence of similar hot gas haloes around other galaxies. FUSE has also detected molecular hydrogen in the atmosphere of the planet Mars for the first time. This has implications for the water history of our frozen neighbor. In addition, FUSE observations first detected molecular nitrogen in dense interstellar gas and dust clouds, but at levels well below what astronomers had expected, requiring a return to the drawing board for theories of interstellar chemistry.

NASA has twice extended what originally was planned as FUSE’s three-year mission to carry out a broad range of science programs for hundreds of astronomers from around the world. To date, more than 350 publications based on FUSE observations have been published in the professional astronomy literature and many more are on the way. A new set of planned observations for the coming year was accepted in December 2005 by NASA, and the first of these has already been obtained.

“The recovery of FUSE operations is a tremendous testament to the dedication and ingenuity of the scientists and engineers at Johns Hopkins and at the Orbital Sciences Corp.,” said Warren Moos, professor of physics and astronomy and principal investigator for FUSE. “There are a large number of astronomers in line waiting for FUSE observations that are now being undertaken once again.”

The Johns Hopkins University has primary responsibility for all aspects of FUSE, including both the development and operational phases of the mission. The FUSE science and satellite control center is on the Johns Hopkins Homewood campus in Baltimore. FUSE partners include Honeywell Technical Services Inc., the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, the Canadian Space Agency, the French Space Agency, the University of Colorado at Boulder, and the University of California, Berkeley, in addition to Orbital Sciences Corporation.

FUSE is a NASA Explorer mission. Goddard Space Flight Center manages the Explorers Program for NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

For more on the FUSE mission and future status updates, visit the FUSE website at fuse.pha.jhu.edu.

Original Source: JHU News Release

ISS astronaut Mike Finke spacewalks in a Russian Orlon spacesuit in 2004. Image credit: NASA Click to enlarge
One of the strangest satellites in the history of the space age is about to go into orbit. Launch date: Feb. 3rd. That’s when astronauts onboard the International Space Station (ISS) will hurl an empty spacesuit overboard.

The spacesuit is the satellite — “SuitSat” for short.

“SuitSat is a Russian brainstorm,” explains Frank Bauer of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. “Some of our Russian partners in the ISS program, mainly a group led by Sergey Samburov, had an idea: Maybe we can turn old spacesuits into useful satellites.” SuitSat is a first test of that idea.

“We’ve equipped a Russian Orlon spacesuit with three batteries, a radio transmitter, and internal sensors to measure temperature and battery power,” says Bauer. “As SuitSat circles Earth, it will transmit its condition to the ground.”

Unlike a normal spacewalk, with a human inside the suit, SuitSat’s temperature controls will be turned off to conserve power. The suit, arms and legs akimbo, possibly spinning, will be exposed to the fierce rays of the sun with no way to regulate its internal temperature.

“Will the suit overheat? How long will the batteries last? Can we get a clear transmission if the suit tumbles?” wonders Bauer. These are some of the questions SuitSat will answer, laying the groundwork for SuitSats of the future.

SuitSat can be heard by anyone on the ground. “All you need is an antenna (the bigger the better) and a radio receiver that you can tune to 145.990 MHz FM,” says Bauer. “A police band scanner or a hand-talkie ham radio would work just fine.” He encourages students, scouts, teachers and ham radio operators to tune in.

For years, Bauer and colleagues at Goddard have been connecting kids on Earth with astronauts on the ISS through the ARISS program (Amateur Radio on International Space Station). “There’s a ham rig on the ISS, and the astronauts love talking to students when they pass over schools,” Bauer explains. ARISS is co-sponsoring SuitSat along with the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the Russian Space Agency and NASA.

When will SuitSat orbit over your home town?

Use Science@NASA’s J-Pass utility to find out. The online program will ask for your zip code?that’s all. Then it will tell you when the ISS is going to orbit over your area. (Be sure to click the “options” button and select “all passes.”) Because the ISS and SuitSat share similar orbits, predictions for one will serve for the other. Observers in the United States will find that SuitSat passes overhead once or twice a day?usually between midnight and 4 o’clock in the morning. At that time of day, SuitSat and the ISS will be in Earth’s shadow and, thus, too dark to see with the naked eye. You’ll need a radio to detect them.

“Point your antenna to the sky during the 5-to-10 minute flyby,” advises Bauer, and this is what you’ll hear:

SuitSat transmits for 30 seconds, pauses for 30 seconds, and then repeats. “This is SuitSat-1, RS0RS,” the transmission begins, followed by a prerecorded greeting in five languages. The greeting contains “special words” in English, French, Japanese, Russian, German and Spanish for students to record and decipher. (Awards will be given to students who do this. Scroll to the “more information” area at the end of this story for details.)

Next comes telemetry: temperature, battery power, mission elapsed time. “The telemetry is stated in plain language?in English,” says Bauer. Everyone will be privy to SuitSat’s condition. Bauer adds, “Suitsat ‘talks’ using a voice synthesizer. It’s pretty amazing.”

The transmission ends with a Slow Scan TV picture. Of what? “We’re not telling,” laughs Bauer. “It’s a mystery picture.” (More awards will be given to students who figure out what it is.)

Students and teachers who want to try this, but have no clue how to begin, should contact their local ham radio club. There are thousands of them around the country. Click here to find a club near you. “Hams are notoriously outgoing; most would be delighted to help students tune in to SuitSat,” believes Bauer.

Bauer expects SuitSat’s batteries to last 2 to 4 days. “Although longer is possible,” he allows. After that, SuitSat will begin a slow silent spiral into Earth’s atmosphere. Weeks or months later, no one knows exactly when, it will become a brilliant fireball over some part of Earth?a fitting end for a trailblazer.

Visit SuitSat.org for launch updates and sighting reports.

Original Source: NASA News Release

GIOVE-A deploys its solar arrays. Image credit: ESA . Click to enlarge
The first Galileo demonstrator is in orbit, marking the very first step to full operability of Europe’s new global navigation satellite system, under a partnership between ESA and the European Commission (EC).

Giove A, the first Galileo in-orbit validation element, was launched today from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, atop a Soyuz-Fregat vehicle operated by Starsem. Following a textbook lift-off at 05:19 UTC (06:19 CET), the Fregat upper stage performed a series of manoeuvres to reach a circular orbit at an altitude of 23 258 km, inclined at 56 degrees to the Equator, before safely deploying the satellite at 09:01:39 UTC (10:01:39 CET).

“Years of fruitful cooperation between ESA and the EC have now provided a new facility in space for improving the life of European citizens on Earth” said ESA Director General Jean Jacques Dordain congratulating ESA and industrial teams on the successful launch.

This 600 kg satellite, built by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) of Guildford, in the UK, has a threefold mission. First, it will secure use of the frequencies allocated by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) for the Galileo system. Second, it will demonstrate critical technologies for the navigation payload of future operational Galileo satellites. Third, it will characterise the radiation environment of the orbits planned for the Galileo constellation.

Formerly known as GSTB-V2/A (Galileo System Test Bed Version 2), Giove A carries two redundant, small-size rubidium atomic clocks, each with a stability of 10 nanoseconds per day, and two signal generation units, one able to generate a simple Galileo signal and the other, more representative Galileo signals. These two signals will be broadcast through an L-band phased-array antenna designed to cover all of the visible Earth under the satellite. Two instruments will monitor the types of radiation to which the satellite is exposed during its two year mission.

The satellite is under the control of SSTL’s own ground station. All systems are performing well, the solar arrays are deployed and in-orbit checkout of the satellite has begun. Once the payload is activated, the Galileo signals broadcast by Giove A will be carefully analysed by ground stations to make sure they satisfy the criteria of the ITU filings.

First step for Galileo

A second demonstrator satellite, Giove B, built by the European consortium Galileo Industries, is currently being tested and will be launched later. It is due to demonstrate the Passive Hydrogen Maser (PHM), which, with a stability better than 1 nanosecond per day, will be the most accurate atomic clock ever launched into orbit. Two PHMs will be used as primary clocks onboard the operational Galileo satellites, with two rubidium clocks serving as backups.

Subsequently, four operational satellites will be launched to validate the basic Galileo space and related ground segments. Once this In-Orbit Validation (IOV) phase is completed, the remaining satellites will be launched to achieve Full Operational Capability (FOC).

Galileo will be Europe’s own global navigation satellite system, providing a highly accurate, guaranteed global positioning service under civilian control. It will be inter-operable with the US Global Positioning System (GPS) and Russia’s Global Navigation Satellite System (Glonass), the two other global satellite navigation systems. Galileo will deliver real-time positioning accuracy down to the metric range with unrivaled integrity.

Numerous applications are planned for Galileo, including positioning and derived value-added services for transport by road, rail, air and sea, fisheries and agriculture, oil prospecting, civil protection activities, building, public works and telecommunications.

Original Source: ESA Portal

Artist’s illustration of ESA’s Cluster spacecraft floating above Earth. Image credit: ESA Click to enlarge
ESA’s Cluster mission has revealed a new creation mechanism of ‘killer electrons’ – highly energetic electrons that are responsible for damaging satellites and posing a serious hazard to astronauts.

Over the past five years, a series of discoveries by the multi-spacecraft Cluster mission have significantly enhanced our knowledge of how, where and under which conditions these killer electrons are created in Earth?s magnetosphere.

Early satellite measurements in the 1950s revealed the existence of two permanent rings of energetic particles around Earth.

Usually called the ‘Van Allen radiation belts’, they are filled with particles trapped by Earth’s magnetic field. Observations showed that the inner belt contains a fairly stable population of protons, while the outer belt is mainly composed of electrons in a more variable quantity.

Some of the outer belt electrons can be accelerated to very high energies, and it is these ‘killer electrons’ that can penetrate thick shielding and damage sensitive satellite electronics. This intense radiation environment is also a threat to astronauts.

For a long time scientists have been trying to explain why the number of charged particles inside the belts vary so much. Our major breakthrough came when two rare space storms occurred almost back-to-back in October and November 2003.

During the storms, part of the Van Allen radiation belt was drained of electrons and then reformed much closer to the Earth in a region usually thought to be relatively safe for satellites.

When the radiation belts reformed they did not increase according to a long-held theory of particle acceleration, called ‘radial diffusion’. Radial diffusion theory treats Earth’s magnetic field lines as being like elastic bands.

If the bands are plucked, they wobble. If they wobble at the same rate as the particles drifting around the Earth then the particles can be driven across the magnetic field and accelerated. This process is driven by solar activity.

Instead, a team of European and American scientists led by Dr Richard Horne of the British Antarctic Survey, Oxford, UK, used data from Cluster and ground receivers in Antarctica to show that very low frequency waves can cause the particle acceleration and intensify the belts.

These waves, named ‘chorus’, are natural electromagnetic emissions in the audio frequency range. They consist of discrete elements of short duration (less than one second) that sound like the chorus of birds singing at sunrise. These waves are among the most intense in the outer magnetosphere.

The number of ‘killer electrons’ can increase by a factor of a thousand at the peak of a magnetic storm and in the following days. Intense solar activity can also push the outer belt much closer to Earth, therefore subjecting lower altitude satellites to a much harsher environment than they were designed for.

The radial diffusion theory is still valid in some geophysical conditions. Before this discovery, some scientists thought that chorus emissions were not sufficiently efficient to account for the reformation of the outer radiation belt. What Cluster has revealed is that in certain highly disturbed geophysical conditions, chorus emissions are sufficient.

Thanks to the unique multipoint measurements capability of Cluster, the characteristic dimensions of these chorus source regions have been estimated for the first time.

Typical dimensions have been found to be a few hundred kilometres in the direction perpendicular to the Earth’s magnetic field and a few thousands of kilometres in the direction parallel to this.

However, the dimensions found so far are based on case studies. “Under disturbed magnetospheric conditions, the chorus source regions form long and narrow spaghetti-like objects. The question now is whether those very low perpendicular scales are a general property of the chorus mechanism, or just a special case of the analysed observations,” said Ondrej Santolik, of Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic, and main author of this result.

Due to our increased reliance on space based technologies and communications, the understanding of how, under which conditions and where these killer electrons are created, especially during magnetic storm periods, is of great importance.

Original Source: ESA Portal

Zenit-3SL blasting off from the Odyssey Launch Platform. Image credit: Boeing. Click to enlarge.
Sea Launch Company today successfully delivered the Inmarsat-4 (I-4) communications satellite to geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO). Early data indicate the spacecraft is in excellent condition.

A Zenit-3SL vehicle lifted off at 6:07 am PT (14:07 GMT), from the Odyssey Launch Platform, positioned at 154 degrees West Longitude. All systems performed nominally throughout the flight. The Block DM-SL upper stage inserted the 5,958 kg (13,108 lb.) satellite to geosynchronous transfer orbit, on its way to a final orbital position of 53 degrees West Longitude. A ground station at Lake Cowichan, in British Columbia, acquired the first signal from the satellite less than 25 minutes after spacecraft separation, as planned.

Inmarsat-4 is designed to provide high-speed mobile service to people throughout the Americas during its 13-year service life. It is one in a series of satellites designed to support the Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) for high-speed delivery of Internet and intranet content and solutions, video-on-demand, videoconferencing, fax, e-mail, phone and LAN access. One of a family of three similar spacecraft, this Inmarsat-4 F2 satellite carries a single global beam that covers up to a third of the Earth’s surface, 19 wide spot beams and 228 narrow spot beams. It has a total end-of-life power of 13kW.

Following acquisition of the spacecraft’s signal, Jim Maser, president and general manager of Sea Launch, congratulated Inmarsat and EADS Astrium. “We have marked several milestones in this mission such as our first mission for Inmarsat and our first European-built spacecraft, and our successful mission is the most significant milestone of all! Our customer is satisfied that we have met all of their requirements,” Maser said. “Once again, we have done what we said we would do. We look forward to future missions with Inmarsat as well as with EADS Astrium. I want to thank every member of the Sea Launch team for making this mission success possible.”

Andrew Sukawaty, Chairman and Chief Executive of Inmarsat plc (LSE:ISAT), said, “We thank the team at Sea Launch for this innovative and highly professional launch. Years of preparation have come together. With the launch of our second I-4 satellite, we look forward to offering up to half megabit internet connection covering up to 90% of the Earth’s land mass – truly Broadband for a mobile planet.”

Sea Launch Company, LLC, headquartered in Long Beach, Calif., is the world’s most reliable heavy-lift commercial launch service. This international partnership offers the most direct and cost-effective route to geostationary orbit. With the advantage of a launch site on the Equator, the reliable Zenit-3SL rocket can lift a heavier spacecraft mass or provide longer life on orbit, offering best value plus schedule assurance. For additional information and images of this successfully completed mission, visit the Sea Launch website at: www.sea-launch.com

Original Source: Boeing News Release

Artist illustration of Inmarsat 4. Image credit: Inmarsat. Click to enlarge.
The launch Inmarsat-4 F2, one of the largest and most powerful communications satellites ever built has been reschedule for Tuesday 8 November.

The six-tonne UK-built craft is due to be lofted by a Zenit-3SL rocket from a floating platform in the Pacific Ocean. It should have flown on Saturday but a software glitch led to an automated halt in the countdown sequence. Flight controllers say they are now happy to go for a Tuesday launch after investigating the technical problem.

Lift-off is now scheduled at the opening of a 29-minute window at 1407 GMT. Inmarsat-4 F2 is the second of three satellites designed to improve global communications systems.

The first satellite, which covers most of Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Indian Ocean, was launched from Cape Canaveral in March. The second will improve and extend communications across South America, most of North America, the Atlantic Ocean and part of the Pacific Ocean.

The two satellites will support the London-based sat-com Inmarsat company’s global broadband network, BGan.

Their onboard technology is designed to allow people to set up virtual offices anywhere around the world via high-speed broadband connections and new 3G phone technology. The spacecraft, each the size of a London bus, should continue functioning for about 15 years. They were built largely at the EADS-Astrium facilities in Stevenage and Portsmouth, UK.

The Inmarsat-4 F2 is going up from waters close to Kiritimati (Christmas Island) on the equator.

It is using the innovative Sea Launch system, which employs a converted oil drilling platform as a launch pad. It is towed into position from its California base.

Original Source: BNSC News Release

SSETI Express in construction. Image credit: ESA. Click to enlarge.
Since Friday morning, the ground control station in Aalborg has not had any contact with SSETI Express. Thorough analysis over the weekend indicates that a failure in the electrical power system on board the spacecraft is preventing the batteries from charging, resulting in a shutdown of the satellite. There is a small but significant possibility of recovery, the likelihood of which is being ascertained by ongoing testing.

“Naturally, the SSETI teams are disappointed that we lost contact, but the mission has still been a success from both an educational and a technical standpoint”, says Project Manager Neil Melville. “The main goal of the mission was to educate students by having them involved hands-on in all the different aspects of a space mission, and now we really have experienced everything”.

On top of the educational purpose, several of the operational goals were met in the time the satellite operated. All evidence suggests that the three CubeSat passengers were successfully deployed into orbit by SSETI Express, and were hence able to begin their own independent missions.

The CubeSats Xi-V and UWE-1 are alive and well, the status of NCube-2 has yet to be confirmed. Stable two-way communications between the groundstation and SSETI Express was established and both the Aalborg University as well as many radio amateurs all over the world downloaded a significant amount of housekeeping data.

Currently, the student teams continue to investigate the situation and assess the chances of recovery. “Even if we don’t recover contact with SSETI Express, it was still a very worthwhile mission for everyone. We will take many lessons learned on to our next educational satellite project, SSETI ESEO”, says Roger Elaerts, ESA’s Head of Education Department.

Original Source: ESA News Release

Russian Rokot carrying the Cryosat satellite. Image credit: ESA. Click to enlarge.
Following the failure of the Rockot launch vehicle during the CryoSat mission on 8 October 2005, the Russian Failure Investigation State Commission led by the Space Forces Deputy Commander Oleg Gromov announced the clearance of the launch vehicle for future use including launches for the Russian Ministry of Defence.

According to the analysis of the State Commission, the reason for the failure has been unambiguously identified: The failure occurred when the flight control system in the Breeze upper stage did not generate the command to shut-down the second stage’s engines. A set of measures is now being implemented to prevent a re-occurrence of the incident.

A detailed briefing of the findings of the State Commission to Eurorocket and its customer ESA will take place on 3 November 2005. A Eurorockot Failure Review Board will review the conclusions of the State Commission and will release its findings in the near future.

Original Source: ESA News Release

Kosmos 3M launcher blasting off. Image credit: ESA. Click to enlarge.
SSETI Express, a low Earth orbit spacecraft designed and built by European university students under the supervision of ESA’s Education Department, was successfully launched this morning at 08:52 CEST from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome on a Russian Kosmos 3M launcher. At 10:29 CEST this morning, the ground control centre at the University in Aalborg (DK) received the first signals from the satellite.

SSETI Express (SSETI being the acronym for Student Space Exploration and Technology Initiative) is a small spacecraft, similar in size and shape to a washing machine (approx. 60×60 x90 cm). Weighing about 62 kg it has a payload of 24 kg. On-board the student-built spacecraft were three pico-satellites, extremely small satellites weighing around one kg each. These were deployed one hour and 40 minutes after launch. In addition to acting as a test bed for many designs, including a cold-gas attitude control system, SSETI Express will also take pictures of the Earth and function as a radio transponder.

The challenge has been for the 23 university groups, working from locations spread across Europe and with very different cultural backgrounds, to work together via the Internet to jointly build the satellite.

The Student Space Exploration and Technology Initiative, which provides the framework for the mission, was launched by ESA’s Education Department in 2000 to get European students involved in real space missions. The initiative aims at giving students practical hands-on experience and encourage them to take up careers in space technology and science, thereby helping to create a pool of talented experts for the future.

Since its creation, SSETI has developed a network of students, educational institutions and organisations to facilitate work on various spacecraft projects. More than 400 European students have made an active, long-term contribution to this initiative, either as part of their degree course or in their spare time. In addition, many hundreds more have been involved in or inspired by SSETI.

SSETI students are currently working on two other satellite projects:

* SSETI ESEO: The European Student Earth Orbiter, a 120kg spacecraft designed for Ariane 5, planned for launch in 2008.
* A study for a European Student Moon Orbiter – timeframe 2010-2012. The orbiter will conduct experiments on its way to the Moon as well as when lunar orbit is achieved.

Original Source: ESA News Release

Final Titan 4 lifting off. Image credit: Lockheed Martin. Click to enlarge.
The United States Air Force and Lockheed Martin (LMT:NYSE) closed out a proud five-decade history today with the final launch of a Titan IV B rocket carrying a critical national security payload for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). All eyes were on Space Launch Complex 4 East as the nation’s heavy-lift workhorse thundered off the pad to deliver its final payload to space and retire from service.

“Today’s spectacular launch is a fitting way to say goodbye to Titan,” said G. Thomas Marsh, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. “The Lockheed Martin employees who have given their utmost efforts to the program over the years join with our Air Force and NRO customers, and the many other organizations that make up the Titan team, in expressing our great pride in this service to our country’s space program.”

Today’s launch was the last launch for the Titan IV and the culmination of a long evolution from the original Titan I intercontinental ballistic missile. In all, 39 Titan IVs have been launched – 12 Titan IVs have been launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on the West Coast plus 27 more from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The final Titan IV mission from Cape Canaveral was launched successfully April 29, 2005.

Col. Michael T. Baker, director, Launch Programs, Space and Missile Systems Center, Air Force Space Command, said, “The members of the System Program Office are extremely proud to be part of this historic launch. I am particularly honored to lead this SPO since Titan has been a part of my career since 1981. We have been confident from the beginning that the Titan team would deliver one final mission success for the nation.”

Following the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy in 1986, when assured access to space became critical for the U.S. government, the Titan IV was developed as the booster used to launch the nation’s largest, heaviest and most critical payloads. Titan initial IV A design was followed by Titan IV B with a new generation of large solid rocket motors, state-of-the-art guidance and electronics and a new ground processing system.

“Today’s launch marks the end of an NRO Titan era but the beginning of the Titan Legend that will live on in the history of America’s space program,” said Col. Chip Zakrzewski, National Reconnaissance Office mission director.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company built the Titan IVs near Denver, Colo., under contract to the U.S. government. As prime contractor and systems integrator, the company built the first and second stages and provides overall program management and launch services. Other members of the Titan IV contractor team and their responsibilities include: GenCorp Aerojet Propulsion Division, Sacramento, Calif., liquid rocket engines; Alliant Techsystems, Magna, Utah, solid rocket motor upgrade; The Boeing Company, Huntington Beach, Calif., payload fairing; and Honeywell Space Systems, Clearwater, Fla., advanced guidance.

Original Source: Lockheed Martin News Release