Tactical Satellite Program

With TacSat ( Tactical Satellite, German tactical satellite), a number of U.S. satellite is referred to by the " Office of Force Transformation" (OFT) was initiated in the U.S. Armed Forces.

The TacSat program

The TacSat program, which (OFT) was launched at the behest of the U.S. Air Force and the Pentagon's Office of Force Transformation, should fill a gap in military satellite area. The previous satellite programs take a long time between the start of the project and the use, including long periods in orbit. They were also extremely expensive.

This program should provide a standard set of satellites available, which should cost a maximum of $ 15 million including start and are within a few days, at most a week, after the decision to launch. This is due to the global operations of the U.S. military and the objectives pursued by the OFT extremely strong cross-linking of the troops also imperative if the new battle doctrine should be applied in the short-term combat.

The individual satellites

TacSat 1

110 kg heavier microsatellite with an infrared camera and a low-resolution color camera. TacSat 1 has been built from surplus satellite structures of the Orbcomm program. TacSat 1 should be started with the Falcon 1 rocket from SpaceX 2007. Due to the delays in the launcher program TacSat 2 has been launched TacSat 1, what made ​​these obsolete. A start is no longer planned.

TacSat 2

This satellite of mass 370 kg and is equipped with a high resolution color camera of the Air Force Research Laboratory. The designated also as Roadrunner TacSat 2 was launched on 16 December 2006 to a Minotaur 1 rocket from the Wallops Flight Facility and brought to a near-earth orbit of 370 km altitude. He burned up on February 5, 2011.

  • Inertial Stellar Compass star sensor, which was developed as part of the New Millennium Program of NASA, as part of the ADCS system of the satellite.
  • High-resolution Mulitspektral - line scanner ( pushbroom ) with 6144 pixels and a swath of 5 km.
  • SIGINT software - defined radio receiver with eleven antennas, combined with a 50 - cm telescope for the detection and localization of RF signal sources, including AIS and cellular signals.
  • Secure data link with 274 Mbps ( downlink) and 0.2 Mbps ( uplink).
  • FPGA-based fast image processing hardware.
  • HET- ion propulsion; Data: 200 W, 12 mN, 0.1 × 0.1 × 0.1 m³, 1 kg.
  • GPS receiver with its own Ionosphärenbeobachtung
  • Unit for analyzing the atmosphere in the orbit.
  • Test unit for damping vibrations.
  • Poor cost thin film solar cells.
  • Computer unit for autonomous control of the satellite.

TacSat 3

This hyperspectral was built in cooperation between the research laboratories of the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy to at least partially independent of the weather reconnaissance. TacSat 3 launched on 19 May 2009 on a Minotaur 1 rocket.

TacSat 4

This communications satellite located at 450 kg at the upper end of the TacSat - line was developed with the National Reconnaissance Office together and launched on 27 September 2011 with a Minotaur -4. A characteristic feature is the extremely elliptical orbit ( HEO, highly elliptical orbit, hochelliptischer orbit ), the Russian Molniya satellites provides similar a long contact time for the tactical use of forces in the target area. TacSat 4 is listed as Com -X and will serve as a basis for up to five identical satellites in satellite bus.

Swath width Automatic Identification System Ion thruster Molniya (satellite)
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