Mar 9 2007
From The Space Library
An Atlas-5 rocket launched six satellites from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station]] in Florida. Two of the satellites were part of the Orbital Express Experiment and four would measure the chemical makeup of the atmosphere and the signal turbulence of satellites. The primary goal of Orbital Express, a joint effort of NASA, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), was to develop a system allowing spacecraft to “act independently and smarter.” Fred G. Kennedy of the U.S. Air Force, DARPA Program Manager for Orbital Express, explained that the Orbital Express mission’s goal was to enable satellites autonomously to refuel, repair, and upgrade—a feat that would “radically change satellite design.” In April 2005, NASA had launched two satellites that were supposed to rendezvous autonomously, but a collision of the two craft during the docking attempt had destroyed them. Because the satellites were preprogrammed, ground controllers had been unable to transmit commands to the satellites’ computers. To avoid such an event in the future, DARPA had designed the Orbital Express satellites to accept guidance from ground controllers.
Spacewarn Bulletin, no. 641, 1 April 2007, http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/spacewarn/spx641.html (accessed 25 January 2010); Todd Halvorson, “Atlas 5 Launches Satellites,” Florida Today (Brevard, FL), 9 March 2007; Shelby G. Spires, “2 Satellites To Test Auto Docking Technology,” Huntsville Times (AL), 9 March 2007.
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