MUBLCOM

MUBLCOM (English Multiple Paths, Beyond -Line -of -Sight Communications ) is an American military communications satellite, which served the testing of mobile communication links between military units. The satellite was funded by the military research agency DARPA and manufactured by Orbital Sciences. It was based on the same satellite bus Microstar, which was used in the Orbcomm satellite. MUBLCOM is operated by the United States Army Communications - Electronics Command.

MUBLCOM was brought together with the research TERRIERS Satellite on 18 May 1999 into space. To this end zone was dropped a Pegasus XL rocket HAPS off the California coast in the Point Arguello Western Air Drop. The carrier aircraft TriStar was launched from the from Vandenberg Air Force Base.

In addition to the communications payload, the satellite carries a series of laser reflectors to serve as a target satellite for the DART satellite. This should test an autonomous rendezvous method and determined by means of laser rangefinders the distance to the target satellite. A coupling of the satellite was not planned. On 15 April 2005, the DART satellite collided with MUBLCOM in an attempt to test this approximation method. Both satellites were not damaged.