Air Force presses surveillance satellite into full service
- By Defense Systems Staff
- Aug 23, 2012
The Air Force said Aug. 20 that it would begin operational use of a new Boeing surveillance satellite designed to track debris and other satellites in space, reports
Aviation Week.
Air Force Space Command said the Space Based Surveillance Satellite system, which has been in orbit for two years, had achieved its initial level of capability and was ready to support U.S. military requirements after resolution of an unexpected electronics problem, the story said.
The system is unique in that it is the only space-based sensor capable of detecting and monitoring debris, satellites and other space objects without disruptions from such factors as weather, atmospheric conditions or the time of day--all of which pose problems for ground-based systems, the story said.