Night mode. The IWS System supports continuous 24-hour-per-day wideband satellite services to tactical users and some fixed infrastructure users. Effectively, each WGS satellite can supply more than ten times the capacity of a DSCS- 3 satellite. WGS satellites are a follow-on to the current Defense Satellite Communications System satellites, but they offer a tenfold capability improvement in available bandwidth. Features WGS 8, launched in 2016, marks the first in the Modified Block II satellites, hosting an upgraded digital channelizer which enables a 90% improvement in available bandwidth compared to previous WGS spacecraft. [8], WGS-7 (USA-263) was successfully launched by a Delta IV Medium+ (5,4) launch vehicle, with lift-off taking place from Space Launch Complex 37B (SLC-37B) in Florida on 24 July 2015, at 00:57 UTC. The WGS-2 satellite was positioned over the equator around 60 East longitude (over the Indian Ocean) for use by United States Central Command in Afghanistan, Iraq and other parts of Southwest Asia. The primary elements of a ground system are summarized in table 11-1. Hover over the logos to learn more about the companies who made this project possible. On January 16, the U.S. Army posted a request for information on a Wideband Global Satellite (WGS) Ka-Band Satellite Surrogate. The very first Wideband Gapfiller in orbit will provide greater capability and bandwidth than all the DSCS satellites combined. This year, resiliency is baked into all the conversations, said assistant secretary of Defense for space policy John, The Space Force and the Pentagon have put considerable effort into making proliferating satellite constellations to make them more resilient against attack, but the ground stations and networks that communicate with those satellites pose a backdoor risk through which adversaries could potentially attack space capability, said Chief of Space Operations, The Space Force must transition from delivering behind-the-scenes support to playing a more active role in which space capabilities are continuously tested and contestedand it must do so in as short a time as possible, said Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. The models are differentiated depending on the specific payload size and weight ranges. Boeing and the U.S. Air Force MILSATCOM Systems Wing have signed in October 2006 a $1.067billion contract for up to three more Wideband Gapfiller Satellites (WGS), if all options are exercised. The next three, WGS satellites 4, 5, and 6, make up Block II. The third Space Operations Squadron (SOPS) located at Schriever AFB, Colorado, US, manages bus commanding of the DSCS constellation. On April 19, 2019 Boeing Co., El Segundo, California, was awarded a not-to-exceed $605,000,000 firm-fixed-price modification (P00109) to previously awarded contract FA8808-10-C-0001 for the production of the Wideband Global Satellite Communication Space Vehicle 11. Large swatches of America have little or no coverage. The WGS constellation provides broadband communications for the U.S. military and allies. The system will provide capacity ranging from 2.1 Gbps to more than 3.6 Gbps to tactical users, depending on the mix of ground terminals, data rates and modulation schemes employed. WGS-3 (USA-211) was launched on 6 December 2009, at 01:47:00 UTC, covers the Atlantic Ocean. Each WGS satellite provides service in both the X and Ka frequency bands, with the unprecedented ability to cross-band between the two frequencies onboard the satellite. Follow the company to be always up to date with this company. The satellite operates in the Indian Ocean region and provides high-capacity communication links to US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Delta IV is an orbital launch vehicle equipped with 5m-diameter payload fairing and three CCBs, which are powered by a Rocketdyne RS-68 engine. In addition, the channelizer supports multicast and broadcast services and provides an extremely effective and flexible uplink spectrum monitoring capability for network control. At the same time, the expected number of Gapfiller satellites alone would not provide full 65N-to-65S worldwide coverage across all intended coverage areas and all longitudes. Our privacy policy is Calculators & Maps Tools to help you ensure that your satellite dishes have a clear line of sight to orbiting satellites, and how strong a signal you can expect in your region. This high-capacity satellite communications system is intended to support the warfighter with newer and far greater capabilities than provided by current systems. An artists conception of the WGS 11+ satellite. The WGS satellites were built on a Boeing 702 spacecraft with 13kW of power and flexible coverage areas. WGS users include the military, the White House Communications Agency, the State Department, and international entities in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Luxembourg, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, and Norway. With advanced phased-array design and anti-jam technology, Boeing satellites grant the warfighter and government decision-makers unconstrained access and connectivity in a contested environment. The Global Broadcast Service [GBS] augments and interfaces with other communications systems to provide a continuous, high-speed, one-way flow of high-volume information supporting routine operations, training and military exercises, special activities, crisis, situational awareness, weapons targeting, intelligence, and the transition to and conduct of operations short of nuclear war. These include 8 steerable X-Band beams provided by separate transmit and receive phased arrays as well as 10 steerable Ka-Band beams that are formed by steerable, diplexed gimbaled dish antennas. One of the emerging applications is SATCOM-ON-The-Move which is now being extensively used on the military tactical vehicles for Blue Force Tracking and C3 missions. Latitude: WGS-4 (USA-233), the first satellite of the Block II, was launched by United Launch Alliance (ULA) from SLC-37B at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) by a Delta IV M+ (5,4) on 20 January 2012, at 00:38:00 UTC. Users include the Australian Defence Force and U.S. Army ground mobile terminals, U.S. Navy ships and submarines, national command authorities for the nuclear forces, and various national security/allied national forces. May 23, 2013 Find a coordinate system and get position on a map. Logicon provides communications software and SAIC extends engineering and communications architectures. Background Each satellite of WGS system provides 2.1Gbps to 3.6Gbps of data transmission rates, based on the mix of ground terminals, data rates and modulation schemes employed. The new satellite was procured under the WGS Block II Follow-On contract which included options for production of up to six WGS satellites. Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity. The WGS-1 satellite operates over the Pacific region. The DoD wideband satellite communications system consists of multiple types of military satellites, control facilities, and user terminals that comprise three distinct segments: (1) the User Terminal Segment, (2) the Space Segment, which consist of three Gapfiller Satellites in geo-synchronous orbit, each providing a two way X-band, a new two way military Ka-band, and broadcast Ka-band services, and (3) the Control Segment. b,The Wideband Global SATCOM system (WGS) is a high capacity satellite communications system use in partnership by the United States Department of Defense (DoD) and the Australian Department of Defence.The system is composed of the Space Segment . WGS The Wideband Global Satcom System is a U.S. satellite constellation providing communications for military operations around the globe, supporting soldiers, ships, and aircraft including unmanned drones used for surveillance and intelligence gathering operations around the globe. 17-05-2019 17:24:28 ZULU. Satbeams has updated its cookie policy. The U.S. Department of Defence selected Boeing Space Systems in 2001 for the WGS satellites as a replacement for the Defense Satellite Communications System 3 in operation from the 1980s into the 2000s. WGS-5 and 6 were launched in 2013 followed by WGS 7 in 2015. Try reducing the number of spacecraft selected if the map is slow to respond. WGS systems enhance the DoDs communication services provided by the defence satellite communications system (DSCS) satellites and the global broadcast system (GBS) operating at an ultra-high frequency (UHF). For more information including contact details, [16][17], WGS-9 (USA-275) was launched on 19 March 2017, at 00:18:00 UTC. WGS-11+ is expected to include an advanced digital payload and operational capabilities that improve on those of its predecessors. The WGS payload. The final contract for this satellite was awarded in September 2011, together with long lead items for WGS8 and an option for WGS9. #ga-ad {display: none;} Users of the WGS system include the Australian Defence Force and the US Army ground mobile terminals, the US Navy ships and submarines, and national command authorities for the nuclear forces, in addition to various national security/allied national forces. The system will provide capacity ranging from 2.1Gbps to more than 3.6Gbps to tactical users, depending on the mix of ground terminals, data rates and modulation schemes employed. The spacesegment is a constellationof geo-synchronous militarycommunications satellitesthat leverage cost-effectiveproduction methods to deliverhigh throughput Ka- andX-band Services. Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) is a pioneer and world leader in the design, manufacture and support of innovative lighter-than-air (LTA) aircraft products, known as hybrid air vehicles. The satellite operates in the Indian Ocean region and provides high-capacity communication links to US troops in . The terminal segment refers to the users of the communication services provided by the WGS system. Spacecraft platform control and stationkeeping maneuvers as well as orbital planning is accomplished by the 3rd Space Operations Squadron stationed at Shriver Air Force Base. In June 2012, Boeing was selected to upgrade the wideband digital channeliser that offers 90% improvement for satellites WGS-8 and beyond. The Gapfiller satellites must either be backward compatible with, or allow for the affordable upgrade of, the existing terminal populations in use with the DSCS and GBS systems. The Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS)-11+ program completed its first ever, all-virtual Preliminary Design Review (PDR) culminating in the successful conclusion of the review on July 1 after an eight-month long campaign. Subsequently, the Both the X- and Ka-bands are interconnected through a digital channeliser and provide better connectivity in WGS. The Wideband Gapfiller Satellites are the DoD's most capable and powerful communication satellite. High-capacity military communications satellite, 39 125-MHz Channels via digital channeliser/router. Please make a donation to support Gunter's Space Page. Average height of ISS WGS 6 (USA 244). WGS Space Vehicles (SVs) are the Department of Defense's highest capacity communications satellites. The WGS provide near-term continuation and augmentation of the services currently provided by the Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS) and the Global Broadcast Service (GBS) Ka services currently provided by GBS payloads on UFO satellites. The WGS satellites make use of modern satellite communications systems such as phased array antennas and digital signal processing technology to create a powerful architecture with a high degree of flexibility. Like the DSCS constellation that WGS will replace, spacecraft bus is commanded by the 4th Space Operations Squadron of Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado. Regional rivalries and Nato tensions defining Turkeys military space ambitions, End of furlough presents dilemma for UK travel firms, New EU fuel tax can prompt funds for electric and hydrogen aircraft, says GlobalData, How Florida is harnessing the next phase of commercial space investment, Florida strengthens its position as a launch pad for Latin American success, Air France bets on leisure to meet shift in traveller sentiment, JetBlues new transatlantic venture should be successful, but risks remain, Supersonic flights could propel corporate travel to new heights, Autonomous swarms highlight the strategic value of manned-unmanned teaming. The XIPS-25 system used by the 702SP spacecraft consists of a central Xenon tank and four 25-centimeter ion thrusters. The combined wideband satellite communications system consists of space vehicles of multiple types, control terminals and facilities, and user terminals. The Australian Government provided A$927m ($822.7m) in funding for ground infrastructure of the sixth WGS satellite under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the DoD in 2007. map shows the quantized color-coded availability from each satellite's field of view based on the optimized data rate for the reference link which operates in a relatively benign propagation environment. }, Page last modified: Regulation Part 12 rules for commercial item acquisition. [3] According to United Launch Alliance, quoted on Spaceflight Now, "A single WGS spacecraft has as much bandwidth as the entire existing DSCS constellation. HX System (for mobiles and airborne/maritime communications) of Hughes Network Systems was granted Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) certification by the US Strategic Command in November 2010. Actual coverage may vary because of gateway deployment, local licensing and other factors. Looking for online definition of WGS or what WGS stands for? Our Satellite Dish Pointer calculates your Azimuth, Elevation, and Polarity Skew values based on your address as entered into the box below. March 18, 2017 Payload commanding and network control are managed by the armys 53rd Signal Battalion at Peterson AFB, Colorado, with subordinate elements at seven locations. The dashed part of the orbit path shows where the satellite is in the earth's shadow, Boeing's ground products provide secure, low risk, resilient, modern, cloud-based systems developed around containerized software and open standards. The WGS satellites supply communications such as maps and data to soldiers on the battlefield, relay video from unmanned aerial reconnaissance drones, route voice calls and data messaging, and. INPE Image Catalog is a go-to source of free satellite imagery maps of South and Central America, and Africa only. The Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) system, previously known as the wideband gapfiller satellite system, is a high-capacity communication satellite. The Gapfiller satellites serve as the means to continue and increase the capability of wideband services until the introduction of the Objective or Advanced Wideband System. It provides services to the US DoD and Australian Department of Defence. After launch, the WGS-1 satellite was given the U.S. military designation USA-195. WGS 5 extended the Wideband Global SATCOM constellation to the Americas for a host of users following launch in May 2013. Frequency of satellite TV, satellite TV channels, satellite TV set without a problem . The system provides tremendous operational flexibility and delivers the needed capacity, coverage, connectivity and control in support of demanding operational scenarios. The engine provides a specific impulse of 312s, has a thrust to weight ratio of 13.7 and operates at a chamber pressure of 6.9 bar. It is available in different medium models: medium+ (4,2), medium+ (5,2), medium+ (5,4) and heavy. The order for long lead items for WGS7 was placed in August 2010. Work will be performed in El Segundo, California, and is expected to be complete by Nov. 20, 2023. Late Feb. 16, the service released the draft RFP and announced it would be hosting an industry day event Feb., The Space Force made resiliency its No. HOME / SATELLITES / Satellite Coverage Maps . The constellation of WGS satellites increases the communications capabilities of the militaries of the United States, Canada, and Australia by providing additional bandwidth and communications capabilities for tactical command and control, communications, and computers; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR); battle management; and combat support information. In January 2002, the customer exercised options worth $336.4million authorizing Boeing to build the first two WGS spacecraft and to procure long-lead material for a third satellite. The WGS system provides essential wideband global communicationsservices allowing Combatant Commanders to exert command and controlof their tactical forces, from peace time to military operations. The U.S. Space Forces Space and Space Systems Command (SSC) isresponsible for development, acquisition, fielding, and sustainment ofthe WGS Program. WGS-11+ is expected to include advanced digital payload and operational capabilities that improve on those of its predecessors. One major upgrade provided by WGS is X-Ka-Band inter-connectivity delivered by a digital channelizer which divides the uplink bandwidth into independently routable 2.6MHz subchannels which can be converted from Ka-to-X-Band and vice versa. The first spacecraft of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) - run jointly by NASA and the German Aerospace Center - re-entered the atmosphere on March 10, 2018, over four months after ending a science mission of over 15 years. The Wideband Global SATCOM-8 (WGS-8) Satellite was successfully launched December 7, 2016, aboard the Delta IV launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's SLC-37B pad. Each WGS satellite has a launch mass of around 5,987 Kilograms and is based on Boeings BSS-702HP satellite platform. The satellites launched into orbit are controlled through four army wideband satellite operations centres (WSOCs) on the ground, using ground equipment hardware and software developed by Boeing, ITT Industries and Raytheon. SpaceX is developing a low latency, broadband internet system to meet the needs of consumers across the globe. Ford 20112023. It's like going from dial-up . A more capable iteration of the Space Forces Wideband Global Satellite Communications satellites, WGS-11+, can start production since passing a critical design review. . The satellite was carried by an Atlas V 421 launch vehicle lifting off from SLC-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS). Additionally, the Satellite Control Network will also use the WGS in a similar manner as the DSCS III constellation is used to route ATM packets through the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) "cloud" to establish command and control streams with various satellite constellations. The two deployable solar arrays each have five wings that are covered with ultra triple-junction gallium-arsenide solar cells which deliver an end-of-life power of at least 11 Kilowatts. Tacticalforces rely on WGS to provide high-capacity connectivity betweenindividual users and the Defense Information Systems Network (DISN). The Global Broadcast Service space segment was implemented in three phases. Coverage: The WGS design includes 19 independent coverage areas that can be used throughout the field of view of each satellite to serve warfighters between 65 North and South latitude. Operation and usage of the WGS System is divided into three segments the Space Segment with the Satellites, the Control Segment which operates the satellites, and the Terminal Segment which corresponds to user terminals on the ground. WGS was developed to replace the legacy 14-satellite US Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS) constellation, launched from 1982 to 2003. The 2001 Defense Appropriations Act, signed on August 9, 2000, limited funding to two satellites. It is positioned over the Eastern Atlantic at an orbital slot of 12> West longitude to operate in the Atlantic region. The combination of the Wideband Gapfiller Satellites, DSCS satellites, GBS payloads, wideband payload and platform control assets, and earth terminals operating with them has been referred to as the Interim Wideband System (IWS). It consists of a reference ellipsoid, a standard coordinate system, altitude data, and a geoid. Hoping to prod a debate on the Space Force's future, Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Capacity: WGS will offer 4.875 GHz of instantaneous switchable bandwidth. BG Patrick W. Burden, Program Executive Officer Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS); COL Charles Stein, Project Manager, Defense . Air Force Space Command's vision in the mid-to-late WGS timeframe (2015 - 2020) is to leverage the validated wideband product lines such as FAB-T, GMT, and Army WIN-T to support GBS product reception (one-way) and when prioritized and funded, provide reach-back (two-way) of GBS services. These three projects provide NATO with access to the military segments of four national satellite communications systems: SYRACUSE from France, SICRAL from Italy, Skynet from the United Kingdom and WGS from the United States. The Boeing 702 uses advanced technologies in propulsion, power generation and thermal control, and can connect X- and Ka-band users within the coverage field of view via reconfigurable antennas and a digital channeliser. As of the latest revision, the WGS 84 datum surface is a pole-flattened ( oblate) spheroid, with major ( transverse) radius a = 6,378,137 m at the equator, and minor ( conjugate) radius b = 6,356,752.314 245 m at the poles (a flattening of 21.384 685 755 km, or 1/298.257 223 563 0.335% in relative terms). When deployed, the satellites solar arrays give the spacecraft a span of 41 meters. SSC Space US has supported launch and early orbit checkout operations for all eight WGS satellites and the Boeing/SSC partnership will continue in the future with the WGS-9 and WGS-10 missions. CENTCOM, Photos: F-22s Deploy to Tinian for First Time as Part of ACE Exercise, In Message to Force, Austin Touts Once-in-a-Generation Investments, Heres What USAFs Science Board Is Studying Now, Were Weird: New Commander Details Life Inside Task Force 99, Top Pentagon Official: Chinas Air Actions Are Dangerous and Destabilizing, Saltzman Unveils Theory of Success as Space Force Debates Future, Senators Launch New Drive for Space National Guard, Keys to Space Resilience: Its More Than Orbits, Says DODs Plumb, Backdoor to Attack Satellites: CSO Sees Cyber Risks in Space Force Ground Systems, Saltzman: Were in a Race to Build Combat Credibility Before Were Put to the Test, Photos: US-Israel Conclude Massive Exercise with F-35s, B-52s, and More, Keep It Simple, StupidSenior Military Space Leaders Focus on Streamlining Acquisition, US, Israel Kick off Massive Exercise with 142 Aircraft, Satellites, and More. WGS8 was awarded in December 2011. Until the future Advanced-EHF replacement to the MILSTAR comes on-line with its capability to transmit 1 Gbps, short-term solutions to the military's bandwidth shortfall would be needed, such as the Wideband Gapfiller, a lesser robust interim solution to AEHF, Global Broadcast System, and leasing options. The WGS-1 was launched into orbit on 10 October 2007 on the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V launch vehicle. Phase III is an Objective capability planned as part of the Advanced Wideband System (AWS) I FY 2009-Plus. However, the sensitivity and breadth of coverage of clinical WGS as a diagnostic test for genetic disorders has not been fully evaluated. The history of U.S. MILSATCOM has been one of aggregation of mission capabilities over time. The new Wideband Gapfiller satellites complement the DSCS III Service Life Enhancement Program (SLEP) and GBS payloads, and offset the eventual decline in DSCS III capability. [9][10] Originally, the second spacecraft was to fly on the Delta IV M+ (5,4), and the third on the Atlas V 421, but they were switched for an undisclosed reason.[11]. Red dots are reference stations used within the current network.