Lockheed Martin’s MUOS successfully launched

27 February 2012 - by the Shephard News Team

Lockheed Martin’s Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite was successfully launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on 24 February 2012. The MUOS, the first to be built, will provide the US Navy with 'significantly improved assured communications'.

The MUOS constellation will replace the legacy Ultra High Frequency Follow-On (UFO) system and provide mobile warfighters with simultaneous voice, video and data communications. MUOS satellites feature a wideband code division multiple access payload that incorporates advanced technology to provide a 16-fold increase in transmission throughput over the current UFO satellite system.  A single MUOS satellite will provide four times the capacity of the entire legacy UFO constellation of 10 satellites.  The satellites also include a hosted legacy UHF payload that will be fully compatible with the current UFO system and legacy terminals.

According to Lockheed Martin, the first MUOS satellite and associated ground system will provide initial on-orbit capability this year with the four-satellite global constellation achieving full operational capability in 2015, extending UHF narrowband communications availability well past 2025.