VALLEY FORGE, Pa., Jan. 11 (UPI) -- A Lockheed Martin-developed satellite command-and-control system for the U.S. Air Force has gone operational following the launch of STPSat-2.
STPSat-2 is part of a multi-payload experimental Space Program STP-S26 mission, the architecture for which was developed by the company and the Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center Space Development and Test Directorate.
The company said the Multi-Mission Satellite Operations Center Ground System Architecture allows the Air Force to fly various spacecraft on various missions from a single ground station.
"Lockheed Martin is proud to be a part of this exciting transition to responsive space operations," said Bob Kramer, Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Services-Defense's vice president for Operational Systems & Services. "MMSOC eliminates the 'single satellite -- single ground station' paradigm and enables the Air Force to fly multiple constellations of spacecraft with various missions from the single ground station."
The Air Force's SMC/SD director, Col. Michael Moran, said development of a ground architecture capable of flying a variety of satellites is critical to driving down operational costs."
Using Lockheed Martin's HORIZON satellite command-and-control framework, MMSOC GSA consolidates satellite operations by providing an over-arching ground segment architecture for one-of-a-kind technology demonstrations and responsive space operations.
A second instance of MMSOC is being deployed at the 50th Space Wing at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado and will become operational with the launch of the Operationally Responsive Space satellite ORS-1 early next year.
