[Satellite Today 04-07-09] A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas 5 vehicle launched the U.S. Air Force’s WGS-2 satellite April 3 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Base, ULA announced April 3.
    Boeing, the satellite’s manufacturer, said that WGS-2 has transmitted its first on-orbit signals and is ready to begin orbital maneuvers and operational testing.
    WGS-2 is intended to increase the communications capacity bandwidth available to the Air Force and help meet the growing demand for military satellite communications. The WGS satellites are Boeing 702 spacecraft the ability to connect X-band and Ka-band users within their field of view via reconfigurable antennas and a digital channelizer.
    WGS-1, the first of six planned WGS satellites, entered service in April 2008.