The new mission control segment for the Air Force’s forthcoming constellation of advanced extremely high frequency communications satellites is now operating, prime contractor Lockheed Martin announced Tuesday. This ground control system is now running the current Milstar communications satellites on orbit and will control the AEHF satellites once they are in space, according to the company. “This is a key milestone that will assure continuous and vital communications for the warfighter from the legacy system to the new, higher capability AEHF satellite system,” said Mike Davis, Lockheed AEHF vice president. The first AEHF satellite is scheduled for launch into orbit later this month from Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla. AEHF satellites will succeed the five-satellite Milstar constellation in providing global, highly secure, protected, and survivable communications to US combat forces. Lockheed is the AEHF prime contractor.
United Launch Alliance’s new Vulcan Centaur rocket is slated to fly its second national security mission in February—nearly six months after its first operational launch and almost a year after it was certified to fly military payloads for the Space Force.
