[Satellite Today 08-01-08] Northrop Grumman, at the command of the U.S. Air Force, has decommissioned the Defense Support Program (DSP) Flight 19 satellite after nine years of service.
    Launched in April 1999, Flight 19 was initially declared a "failed launch" after a launch malfunction left the satellite in a useless orbit. The U.S. Air Force, however, directed Northrop Grumman technical personnel to work out procedures to perform periodic earth acquisitions, Northrop Grumman said.
    During its nine years in orbit, Flight 19 traveled through the Van Allen radiation belts twice a day, providing data on the longevity of systems exposed to intense radiation. The satellite also provided views of the Earth and its environment from different angles, providing information that could not be obtained by a satellite in geosynchronous orbit.