Lockheed Martin has successfully tested the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (EHF) spacecraft’s critical structure, which company officials say validates the characteristics of the spacecraft and insures that launches and other sources of vibration won’t affect its mission. The Air Force expects the AEHF to provide a global and highly secured communications capability at greater capacity and data rates than the Milstar communications satellite. First launch is slated for April 2008.
The U.S. could lose its ability to effectively operate in space without action to lower the number of objects in low Earth orbit, top U.S. generals said. Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. David D. Thompson said his biggest concern was not debris from objects currently in orbit but the…