Luxembourg's first military satellite now operational
NewsMarch 20, 2018
CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. GovSat-1, Luxembourg?s first military satellite, has now become operational following its January 31 launch on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
GovSat-1 -- dedicated entirely to governmental and institutional users -- is the first satellite fielded by GovSat, a public/private partnership between the government of Luxembourg and European satellite operator SES.
The multimission satellite, operated from the Secure Mission Operations Centre in Luxembourg, uses dedicated frequencies in X-band and military Ka-band to enable applications such as connectivity for theatres of operation; interconnection of institutional or defense sites; border control; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR); and various types of communications used in land and maritime missions.
GovSat-1 is located at the 21.5 degrees east orbital slot, which allows the satellite to support communications over Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, along with extensive maritime coverage over the Mediterranean and Baltic seas and the Atlantic and Indian oceans.
Étienne Schneider, Luxembourg Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Economy, and Minister of Defense, said of the GovSat activation: “I would like to thank all the members of the GovSat team for their hard work and commitment to bring the GovSat-1 spacecraft into operational service. This was the next major step in our public-private partnership with SES. GovSat-1 will further enhance Luxembourg's excellent reputation in the global satellite communications market. The satellite will enable Luxembourg to meet its expanding obligations in European defense and to further diversify the national economy in a key technology sector.”
