ULA Atlas 5 launches the U.S. Navy’s MUOS 5 satellite. Photo: ULA

[Via Satellite 06-27-2016] United Launch Alliance (ULA) delivered the U.S. Navy’s fifth and final Mobile User Objective System (MUOS 5) satellite into Earth’s orbit June 24, marking the rocket’s first mission since the OA-6 anomaly. The mission lifted off successfully from Space Launch Complex-41 June 24, marking the company’s fifth launch in 2016 and 108th launch since forming in 2006.

A Lockheed Martin-led initialization team, stationed at Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, California, is operating the satellite from its transfer orbit to its test slot. As prime contractor for the MUOS satellites, Lockheed Martin is guiding orbit-raising to Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO), deployment of solar arrays and antennas, and on-orbit testing, preceding subsequent turn-over to the Navy for test and commissioning to service.

MUOS 5 completes a network of orbiting satellites and relay ground stations that provide a new global military cellular network offering enhanced communications capabilities with 16 times more communications capacity than the legacy system it will eventually replace. The final satellite augments the constellation as a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) spare, while actively supporting the legacy Ultra High Frequency (UHF) system many mobile forces use today.

Users with MUOS terminals will be able to seamlessly connect beyond line-of-sight around the world and into the Global Information Grid, as well as into the Defense Switching Network. MUOS’ capabilities include simultaneous voice, video and mission data over a secure high-speed internet protocol-based system.