Lockheed Martin To Launch Second MUOS Satellite

The U.S. Navy and Lockheed Martin are ready to launch the second Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite on Friday, July 19 aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

"This is a proud moment for the MUOS team," said Iris Bombelyn, Lockheed Martin vice president of Narrowband Communications. "It takes a lot of detailed and dedicated work to get us here from a team that spans suppliers, engineers, technicians, customer and subcontractors. I'm proud of their efforts, and we look forward to the difference MUOS will make for mobile users."

MUOS satellites feature a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access payload that incorporates commercial technology designed to provide 16 times the number of accesses above requirements for the legacy UHF Follow-On system. The satellites also include a hosted legacy UHF payload that will be fully compatible with the current ultra-high frequency system and legacy terminals.

The geosynchronous constellation consists of four satellites and one on-orbit spare, which are expected to achieve full operational capability in 2015, extending UHF narrowband communications availability well past 2025.