Unfurlable Mesh Antennas from Harris Corp. Successfully Deploy on U.S. Navy’s Third Mobile User Objective System Satellite
March 17 2015 - 1:33PM
Business Wire
Highlights
- Reflectors were launched January 20
onboard Lockheed Martin-built MUOS-3 satellite
- MUOS is like a secure, smart phone
network in space for mobile warfighters
- Once fully deployed MUOS will provide
16X the capacity of the legacy UHF system
Two unfurlable mesh antenna reflectors developed by Harris
Corporation (NYSE:HRS) have successfully deployed onboard the third
Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite built by Lockheed
Martin (NYSE:LMT). This represents the fifth and sixth successful
Harris reflector deployments in the planned 5-satellite MUOS
system. The announcement was made during Satellite 2015 being held
March 16-19 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in
Washington, D.C.
The MUOS satellite constellation operates like a smart phone
network in the sky, vastly improving current secure mobile
satellite communications for warfighters on the move. Unlike
previous systems, MUOS provides users and on-demand,
beyond-line-of-sight capability to transmit and receive
high-quality, prioritized voice and mission data, on a high-speed
IP-based system. Once fully deployed, MUOS will be compatible with,
but provide 16-times the capacity of the legacy UHF satellite
system.
Harris is scheduled to build 10 reflectors for the MUOS
constellation, two per satellite — a 14-meter diameter unit for
multiple-beam operation that significantly increases the number of
users and traffic the system can support, and a 5.4-meter diameter
unit for legacy operations. The gold mesh reflectors are secured to
the satellite by Harris precision booms. The reflectors are
manufactured at the company's advanced manufacturing facility in
Palm Bay, Florida.
"This third on-orbit deployment again demonstrates how the
unique design and flexibility of our mesh reflectors is meeting the
needs of the MUOS satellite program," said Bill Gattle, vice
president and general manager, National Programs, Harris Government
Communications Systems. "We remain committed to delivering the most
advanced satellite communications technology to our
warfighters."
With more than 80 reflectors on-orbit or under construction,
Harris has more than 35 years of experience designing and building
space-borne antennas for government and commercial applications.
Products range from unfurlable mesh reflectors to steerable and
phased array antennas, to reconfigurable payload solutions. Harris
reflectors range in size from .2 meters to 22 meters, with
frequencies from UHF to Ka-band.
Harris also is playing a central role in developing tactical
radio terminals that will provide MUOS satellite communications
capability to the end user. MUOS capability will initially be
provided via a software upgrade to the widely fielded Harris Falcon
III® AN/PRC-117G manpack radio platform. Of the Harris wideband
radios already deployed to users, more than 30,000 are ready to
host the MUOS waveform software with no changes required to the
radio’s hardware. The company’s new AN/PRC-158 multichannel radio,
initially designed to compete for the U.S. Army’s HMS Manpack
program, will also host the MUOS waveform.
About Harris Corporation
Harris is an international communications and information
technology company serving government and commercial markets in
more than 125 countries. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the
company has approximately $5 billion of annual revenue and about
13,000 employees — including 6,000 engineers and scientists. Harris
is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured communications®
products, systems, and services. Additional information about
Harris Corporation is available at www.harris.com.
(Harris Booth # 7001)
Harris Government Communications SystemsSleighton Meyer,
321-727-6514sleighton.meyer@harris.comorHarris CorporationJim
Burke, 321-727-9131jim.burke@harris.com
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