Air Force Investigating DSP Life Extension in Lieu of Stopgap Satellite

By Jason Simpson / May 11, 2009 at 5:00 AM
The Air Force could extend the operational life spans of Defense Support Program satellites if there is a capability gap between them and the Space-Based Infrared System now that the Pentagon has canceled the Infrared Augmentation Satellite program, according to a service official. When a satellite uses up enough fuel to render it unable to maneuver, the Defense Department routinely sends it to a "graveyard" orbit beyond geosynchronous orbit known as the "super synch," according to Gary Payton, the deputy...

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