ULA - Atlas V / USSF-12 Mission poster.
July 2, 2022
Atlas V carrying USSF-12 liftoff
A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 541 launch vehicle launched the USSF-12 mission directly to geosynchronous orbit, from Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, on 1 July 2022, at 23:15 UTC (19:15 EDT).
Atlas V launches USSF-12
The USSF-12 mission for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) has two satellite payloads: the Wide Field of View (WFOV) Testbed for SSC's Space Sensing Directorate and the USSF-12 Ring spacecraft for the Defense Department’s Space Test Program. Atlas V will deliver both spacecraft directly to geosynchronous orbit approximately 35,500 km (22,000 miles) above the equator approximately 6 hours after liftoff.
USSF-12
USSF-12’s primary payload is the U.S. Space Force’s SSC’s Wide Field of View (WFOV) testbed, with a secondary payload for the DoD’s STP.
Wide Field of View (WFOV) Testbed
The WFOV testbed is an Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) technology demonstrator that will mature and prove the effectiveness of its 6-degree staring sensor called Wide-Area Six-Degree Payload (WASP). Developed by L3 Harris under a separate contract, WASP will be able to observe nearly one third of Earth’s surface. WFOV will be capable of performing strategic and tactical missions, such as battlespace awareness and missile warning, and directly supporting warfighters by monitoring Earth’s surface respectively. With pathfinding the process to operationalize OPIR data, the WFOV testbed will play an important role as part of the Missile Warning, Tracking, and Defense architecture.
An artist’s render of the Wide Field of View testbed satellite
The WFOV testbed is based on Millennium Space System’s Aquila M8 satellite bus. It has two deployable solar arrays offering a baseline payload power of 2500 W (options up to 10 kW), is powered by a bi-propellant propulsion system, and single or dual string avionics. The Aquila M8 satellite bus is Millennium Space System’s biggest satellite bus in their line-up, weighing ~3,000 kg with a payload accommodation of over 350 kg. It’s designed to operate 3 to 5 years on orbit.
United Launch Alliance (ULA): https://www.ulalaunch.com/
Images, video, Text, Credits: Credits: United Launch Alliance/Millennium Space Systems/SciNews/Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga.
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