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Image credit: Northrop Grumman
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[Satellite TODAY 06-12-13] Northrop Grumman Corporation has delivered the second of two payloads that will be hosted on government-owned satellites to bring protected, extremely high frequency (EHF) communications to users in the North Polar region (above 65 degrees north). Developed for the U.S. Air Force’s Enhanced Polar System (EPS), the payload efficiently leverages hardware and software designs Northrop Grumman originally developed for Advanced EHF (AEHF) protected military communication satellites. The EPS network will replace the current interim polar system and serve as a polar adjunct to the Advanced EHF system.
Both EPS payloads feature an onboard processing unit similar to those on AEHF satellites but scaled down to meet reduced mission capacity requirements. The payloads integrate functions of the configurable on-board router, demodulator and resource control computer/security equipment computer on AEHF payloads into a single extended data rate processing unit on EPS.
EPS consists of two EHF payloads hosted on government satellites, a gateway segment to connect modified Navy multiband terminals to other communication systems, a user terminal segment, and a control and planning segment (CAPS). Northrop Grumman was recently selected to develop the EPS CAPS to operate the EPS payloads.
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