[Satellite Today – 5-12-08] The U.S. Air Force has placed the first of at least six Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) satellites into operation over the Pacific region, manufacturer Boeing Co. announced May 12.
    WGS is the first operational Satcom system supporting the government’s transformational communications architecture. Each satellite has the capacity to transmit information at rates of more than three gigabits per second. This is more than 10 times the capacity of the government’s Defense Satellite Communications System, known as DSCS. During operational testing last month, the government successfully transmitted a record-breaking 440 megabits-per-second communications test signal through the satellite. WGS-1 was launched in Oct. 2007 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Base, Fla., aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 launch vehicle.
    "WGS-1 is the highest capacity Department of Defense communications satellite on orbit," Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems said in a statement. "WGS-1 is now providing essential support to military operations overseas, and Boeing looks forward to launching the second and third WGS satellites in the coming months."