The Navy has accepted the third Mobile User Objective System (MUOS-3) communications satellite following successful completion of on-orbit testing, according to prime contractor Lockheed Martin [LMT].
MUOS-3, launched Jan. 20, is now being relocated to its on-orbit operational slot in preparation for operational acceptance now that on-orbit testing is complete, the company said in a statement. MUOS works like a smartphone network in space, vastly improving secure satellite communications (SATCOM) for mobile United States forces, according to the Navy, which didn’t respond to a request for comment by press time.
MUOS provides users global, on-demand, beyond-line-of-sight capability to transmit and receive high-quality voice and mission data on a high-speed Internet Protocol(IP)-based system. Lockheed Martin said the MUOS network is expected to provide nearly global coverage before the end of the year.
In addition to five satellites, MUOS also includes four ground stations around the world, complex software to manage the network and a wideband code division multiple access waveform that serves as an interface for end-user radios. MUOS-1 and MUOS-2, launched in 2012 and 2013, respectively, are already operational. MUOS-4 is expected to launch later this year while MUOS-5 is scheduled for launch in 2016. Lockheed Martin said it handed over the last of four required ground stations to the Navy in February.
Lockheed Martin spokesman Chip Eschenfelder said June 2 in an email that the company is under contract for the first five MUOS satellites.