EL SEGUNDO, Calif., June 6 (UPI) -- The Pentagon's WGS satellite looks like a "go" for launch following final end-to-end testing using an actual satellite parked near the Los Angeles airport.
The test of the WGS (Wideband Global SATCOM) demonstrated that the ground-control system could in fact communicate with the satellite that is slated for launch later this summer.
Boeing said in a statement Tuesday that the test linked together a ground station in Paso Robles and a WGS satellite located at the company's factory in El Segundo, Calif., adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport. The operational commands were routed through U.S. Air Force satellite operations centers in Colorado and New Mexico.
"The team closely simulated how WGS will operate on orbit, and both the ground equipment and the satellite performed flawlessly," said Boeing Vice President Howard Chambers. "The tests retired a significant amount of risk for our customer."
Chambers added that the tests also demonstrated the unique capability of allowing Air Force and Army operators to control the payload using separate radio links.
The WGS satellites are designed to handle large volumes of data requiring high levels of bandwidth. A total of five satellites will be launched, including three this year. Boeing is building one Block I spacecraft plus two from Block II that will be launched in 2011.
