A Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) spacecraft scheduled to be placed into orbit in April 2008 has completed thermal vacuum tests at Lockheed Martin’s Sunnyvale, Calif., facility, the U.S. Air Force announced.

DMSP F-18 is scheduled to complete environmental testing this summer and be shipped to a Vandenberg Air Force Base in October to begin launch processing.

The spacecraft is slated to replace DMSP F-16.