U.S. Army signal processing satellite now operational in orbit
NewsSeptember 08, 2022
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama. A satellite meant to provide situational awareness to tactical warfighters in the U.S. Army is now operational after being launched into orbit this summer, manufacturer Dynetics -- a Leidos subsidiary -- announced in a statement.
The Lonestar tactical space support vehicle was launched from Mojave Air and Space Port aboard the Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne two-stage air-launch vehicle this summer, and the vehicle has now been fully checked out in low-Earth orbit, Dynetics announced.
The vehicle was launched on behalf of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command. Dynetics completed on-orbit satellite and payload checkouts with the Army at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, meaning the payload is operational and "ready to support the situational awareness mission for the warfighter," the statement reads.
Both the company and the Army are vague about the actual mission performed by the Lonestar satellite. However, Dynetics references the company's "signal processing" capabilities as key to the satellite's development.
