Ball Aerospace & Technologies has delivered the STPSat-2 satellite to Kodiak Launch Complex in Alaska, in preparation for launch aboard a Minotaur 4 rocket in 2010.
The STPSat-2 satellite has been built for the US Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center’s Space Development and Test Wing (SDTW).
It is the first spacecraft for the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Programme Standard Interface Vehicle (STP-SIV) programme.
The STPSat-2 equipped with STP-SIV architecture, will support the operationally responsive space strategy to ensure US space superiority.
It will provide a standard interface compatible for multiple launch vehicles to support a variety of experimental and risk-reduction payloads at different low-Earth orbits.
Developed with flight-proven hardware, each bus of STPSat-2 can accommodate up to four independent payloads, each one having its own separate power and data interface.
