Sep 24 2010
Boeing Company in association with Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. declared that the latest Space Based Space Surveillance (SBSS) space craft and its ground system have successfully accomplished the last stage trials. The satellite will be launched on 25th September, 2010 from the Lompoc-based Vandenberg Air Force Base in Calif.
SBSS will impressively furnish space condition status monitoring for the U.S. with its precision and timeliness on the orbit. This innovative spacecraft will be equipped with a space-oriented sensor for inspecting and observing the satellites, debris and other space bodies without getting affected by atmosphere, weather or time period and provides weather forecasting, communications, security, and many other important operations.
Space Based Space Surveillance (SBSS) space craft
Craig Cooning, Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems’ vice president and general manager stated that the gimbaled camera, reprogrammable onboard processor and open ground system design of the SBSS is effective to the highly demanding mission necessities and also adjusts to resist threats.
Boeing as well as the Ball Aerospace team released the SBSS after a Critical Design Review by Air Force., The space craft was shifted to Vandenberg Air Force Base from Boulder-based Ball Aerospace facility in May and from then, three release trials have been carried out at the Vandenberg Air Force Base and at the Schriever-based SBSS Satellite Operations Center. The final trial of the launch was performed in June.
Boeing Company executes the entire project management, system fabrication and installation, structuring and improvement of the Satellite Operations Center and system control and operation. Ball Aerospace was responsible for the advancement, fabrication, manufacture, installation and trials on the satellite, employing the Boeing-made onboard information processor.
Source: http://www.ballaerospace.com