The US Army has officially announced that the recently launched Falcon 9 rocket, in addition to the test of the first private spacecraft Dragon, was also carrying its secret cargo - the first military nanosatellite.
About 10 days ago, a two-stage Falcon 9 launch vehicle was launched from Cape Canaveral. The launch attracted the attention of many people around the world, because as the main load it carried the first spacecraft created by a private company - SpaceX Dragon, which went to its first test flight. At that time, few people knew that there was other cargo on board the rocket. Only recently it became public.
So, after about 45 minutes after launch, the nanosatellite separated from the second stage of the carrier, and after another half hour, it turned the antenna and got in touch with ground services. The device was created as part of the SMDC-ONE program, which is being implemented, by no less than the Space and Missile Defense Command under the US Strategic Command of the Armed Forces (USASMDC / ARSTRAT). It was his structures that soon began to receive reports from the satellite on the operation of its onboard systems. According to USASMDC spokesman Lt. Gen. Kevin Campbell, "The launch and deployment of the first of the SMDC-ONE nanosatellites aims to demonstrate the concept of tactical communications using small, low-cost vehicles in low Earth orbit." The satellite will spend 30 days in orbit, after which it will be brought down and burned up in the atmosphere.
It is assumed that in the future, the SMDC-ONE nanosatellite constellation can be quickly deployed over the theater of operations. They will be able to collect information from ground sensors in real time and organize the transfer of data between them and the army command structures. They will also be used for communication and, possibly, for the "implementation of special missions." On board, as far as is known, there is a GPS module and various communication systems. Each satellite weighs less than 4.5 kg and is about 35 cm in diameter - these are really little ones - a difficult target for enemy missiles.
The US military expects that the price of each device will not exceed 300 thousand dollars, and the launch into orbit as an additional cargo, as it was this time, will also reduce the cost of the launch. It is also possible that a small lightweight carrier MNMS (Multipurpose NanoMissile System) will be created specially for them, on which Dynetics is already working on the instructions of the Pentagon. In this case, the cost of putting a nanosatellite into orbit will be about $ 1 million. Dynetics promises to conduct the first suborbital test launches already in 2011 - two more SMDC-ONE satellites are scheduled to be launched in the same year.
By the way, the official website of the US Army reports that there was another payload on the second stage of the Falcon 9, although what it consisted of was not disclosed.
