SpaceX Falcon rocket launches USSF-67 mission for US Space Force

News, US January 18, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

SpaceX’s Falcon heavy cargo-lifting rocket launched the USSF-67 mission from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The rocket carried a classified mission for the United States Space Force including military communications satellite and five payloads to the earth’s orbit.

According to U.S. Space Force officials, the main satellite on the USSF-67 mission is Continuous Broadcast Augmenting SATCOM 2 (CBAS-2), which will “provide communications relay capabilities in support of our senior leaders and combatant commanders.”

“The mission of CBAS-2 is to augment existing military satellite communication capabilities and continuously broadcast military data through space-based satellite relay links,” the statement added.

The rocket also carried Long Duration Propulsive ESPA (LDPE)-3A spacecraft, which helps advance rapid access to space for the U.S. Space Force. It is a payload adapter that can carry six small satellites. The LDPE-3A carried hardware for five independent missions, according to the Northrop Grumman statement.

As part of the USSF-67 mission, the LDPE-3A carried Catcher and WASSAT satellites for the Space Systems Command of the U.S. Space Force. The Space Systems Command is responsible for developing and sustaining space capabilities for U.S. fighter jets and aircraft. While the other three satellites aboard the LDPE-3A were developed by the Space Force’s Space Rapid Capabilities Office (SRCO).

U.S. Space Force officials said in a statement that “The SRCO payloads include two operational prototypes for enhanced situational awareness and an operational prototype crypto/interface encryption payload providing secure space-to-ground communications capability.”

*^{The ESPAStar platform (as pictured) can accommodate up to six payloads with independent mission objectives. (Image Credit: Northrop Grumman)}*

The LDPE-3A was built using U.S. defense firm Northrop Grumman’s ESPAStar. It provides rapid access to space by maximizing the available volume inside a launch vehicle.

The vice president of national security systems at Northrop Grumman, Troy Brashear said, “From conception and development of next-generation space technology, like ESPAStar, to on-orbit command and control, we are prepared to support the full lifecycle of our customer’s missions throughout the ever-evolving threat environment.”

The Northrop Grumman statement highlighted that the company plans to continue delivering future ESPAStar spacecraft, mission systems engineering, ground software systems, and hardware platforms for critical USSF missions.

The USSF-67 is the third mission for the LDPE program. The company’s LDPE-1 launched aboard the STP-3 mission in December 2021 and LDPE-2 aboard the USSF-44 mission in November 2022.