Northrop Grumman Corporation has successfully transported its two-satellite constellation to the launch site for Space Norway’s Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission (ASBM). These satellites aim to provide commercial broadband and secure military satellite communications to the challenging northern polar region.
ASBM utilises Northrop Grumman’s GEOStar-3 hosting platform. The GEOStar space vehicles have been a part of over 40 missions so far. The ASBM satellites will carry the Space Systems Command’s Enhanced Polar System-Recapitalization (EPS-R) payload, marking the first operational U.S. military payload hosted on a commercial space vehicle operated by an international partner.
When and Where Will the ASBM Satellites Launch?
The ASBM satellites are set for launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, with the launch anticipated as early as mid-July. The satellites, named ASBM-1 and ASBM-2, were manufactured at Northrop Grumman’s facility in Dulles, Virginia.
Brandon White, vice president and general manager of tactical space systems at Northrop Grumman, emphasised the significance of this mission, stating, “ASBM pioneers a new path for hybrid government-commercial missions. Northrop Grumman’s work with ASBM showcases our decades of on-orbit experience and end-to-end space technology expertise, delivering coverage to one of the most hard-to-reach regions of the globe.”
What Makes ASBM a Collaborative Effort?
ASBM is a joint initiative involving Space Norway, the Norwegian Armed Forces, the U.S. Space Force, Viasat, and Northrop Grumman. The GEOStar-3 satellites for ASBM encompass space vehicles and operating systems for power, propulsion, communications, command and data handling, thermal control, and guidance and navigational control. Additionally, Northrop Grumman provides the U.S. Space Force EPS-R payload and Control and Planning Segment ground system for this critical capability. The satellites will also carry an X-Band payload for the Norwegian Armed Forces, a Ka-Band payload for Viasat, and a Norwegian Radiation Monitor payload.
The U.S. Space Force’s EPS-R is engineered for secure military communications. By hosting EPS-R on ASBM satellites, there are new opportunities to distribute payloads across hybrid government-commercial satellites, enhancing resiliency and reducing costs while meeting security requirements.
Northrop Grumman stands as a leading global aerospace and defence technology company, offering pioneering solutions that equip customers with the necessary capabilities to connect and protect the world while pushing the boundaries of human exploration. Driven by a shared purpose to solve the toughest problems, Northrop Grumman’s employees define what is possible every day.
