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85-530: Traditional launch methods of satellites are too costly to put small payloads into orbit without a larger payload accompanying it to make the launch worth the expense. Current launches of sub-100-pound satellites are performed as "piggyback payloads" on launches of much larger spacecraft, usually headed for geostationary orbit , and are released at the altitude of the primary payload. In addition, range costs of operating from ground-based infrastructure have escalated as they have aged, accounting for up to 35 percent of

170-483: A delta-v of approximately 50 m/s per year. A second effect to be taken into account is the longitudinal drift, caused by the asymmetry of the Earth – the equator is slightly elliptical ( equatorial eccentricity ). There are two stable equilibrium points sometimes called "gravitational wells" (at 75.3°E and 108°W) and two corresponding unstable points (at 165.3°E and 14.7°W). Any geostationary object placed between

255-427: A geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), an elliptical orbit with an apogee at GEO height and a low perigee . On-board satellite propulsion is then used to raise the perigee, circularise and reach GEO. Satellites in geostationary orbit must all occupy a single ring above the equator . The requirement to space these satellites apart, to avoid harmful radio-frequency interference during operations, means that there are

340-452: A temporary orbit , and placed in a slot above a particular point on the Earth's surface. The orbit requires some stationkeeping to keep its position, and modern retired satellites are placed in a higher graveyard orbit to avoid collisions. In 1929, Herman Potočnik described both geosynchronous orbits in general and the special case of the geostationary Earth orbit in particular as useful orbits for space stations . The first appearance of

425-566: A 100 lb satellite into orbit that requires only 24 hours notice to integrate and launch the payload, with the ability to re-plan the launch in flight and relocate the aircraft to any civilian airport or military airfield in a crisis situation, while using onboard GPS /inertial position reporting rather than ground-based radar tracking. A program solicitation was announced in 2011, and six companies were awarded contracts in July 2012. The six awardees who signed phase 1 contracts with DARPA included: In

510-531: A 45 kg (99 lb) microsatellite into orbit is targeted at $ 1 million, a decrease of 66 percent. A demonstration launch was hoped for in FY 2015. The F-15E launch vehicle would have required no modifications to launch the ALASA payload, not even software, because the rocket will use the same communications protocols as a typically mounted weapons system. This enables the aircraft to continue flying other missions as

595-544: A budget of " US$ 46 million for the 18-month first phase through September 2013, when [DARPA] planned another competition to select at least one team to conduct up to 36 launches in 2015 [in order to] to demonstrate [the Alasa system] at a persuasive scale." US$ 40 million has been requested for the second year. After DARPA announced in December 2012 that the ALASA air-launched microsat launch vehicle would be chosen to launch

680-429: A cost benefit over being specialized. The rocket will also feature new design technologies to lower complexity and costs. It will be powered by a monopropellant, a combination of nitrous oxide and acetylene , and mixed together in one propellant tank slightly below room temperature; the propellant choice is a dramatic simplification of the complexity of the rocket vehicle. Rocket design is also unconventional, mounting

765-537: A geostationary orbit in popular literature was in October 1942, in the first Venus Equilateral story by George O. Smith , but Smith did not go into details. British science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke popularised and expanded the concept in a 1945 paper entitled Extra-Terrestrial Relays – Can Rocket Stations Give Worldwide Radio Coverage? , published in Wireless World magazine. Clarke acknowledged

850-415: A geostationary orbit in particular, it ensures that it holds the same longitude over time. This orbital period, T , is directly related to the semi-major axis of the orbit through the formula: where: The eccentricity is zero, which produces a circular orbit . This ensures that the satellite does not move closer or further away from the Earth, which would cause it to track backwards and forwards across

935-525: A geostationary orbit was Syncom 3 , which was launched by a Delta D rocket in 1964. With its increased bandwidth, this satellite was able to transmit live coverage of the Summer Olympics from Japan to America. Geostationary orbits have been in common use ever since, in particular for satellite television. Today there are hundreds of geostationary satellites providing remote sensing and communications. Although most populated land locations on

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1020-399: A known position) and providing an additional reference signal. This improves position accuracy from approximately 5m to 1m or less. Past and current navigation systems that use geostationary satellites include: Geostationary satellites are launched to the east into a prograde orbit that matches the rotation rate of the equator. The smallest inclination that a satellite can be launched into

1105-408: A large area of the earth's surface, extending 81° away in latitude and 77° in longitude. They appear stationary in the sky, which eliminates the need for ground stations to have movable antennas. This means that Earth-based observers can erect small, cheap and stationary antennas that are always directed at the desired satellite. However, latency becomes significant as it takes about 240 ms for

1190-516: A limited number of orbital slots available, and thus only a limited number of satellites can be operated in geostationary orbit. This has led to conflict between different countries wishing access to the same orbital slots (countries near the same longitude but differing latitudes ) and radio frequencies . These disputes are addressed through the International Telecommunication Union 's allocation mechanism under

1275-457: A location for a bombing and gunnery range. They saw the potential of the sparsely populated forested areas surrounding Valparaiso and the vast expanse of the adjacent Gulf of Mexico . From October 1941 to October 1945, a USAAF Fixed Gunnery School operated at the base, supervised by the 75th Flying Training Wing . At its peak during World War II, the base employed more than 1,000 officers, 10,000 enlisted personnel and 4,000 civilians. After

1360-406: A signal to pass from a ground based transmitter on the equator to the satellite and back again. This delay presents problems for latency-sensitive applications such as voice communication, so geostationary communication satellites are primarily used for unidirectional entertainment and applications where low latency alternatives are not available. Geostationary satellites are directly overhead at

1445-408: A training curriculum in support of USAF and international partner pilot training requirements. The F-35A is a conventional take-off and landing , low-observable , multi-role fighter aircraft, designed with 5th-generation sensors and weapons, and is able to perform air superiority , air interdiction and close air support missions. The F-35A made its first flight on 15 December 2006. The 53 WG

1530-761: A training wing for the new F-35. The final F-15s assigned to the 33d departed the base in September 2009. As the first of its kind in the Department of Defense , the joint wing is responsible for F-35 pilot and maintainer training for the Air Force, Marine Corps and the Navy. The first of 59 F-35s arrived from Lockheed Martin Fort Worth , Texas on 14 July 2011. The 58th FS "Mighty Gorillas" are authorized to operate 24 assigned F-35A aircraft, planning and executing

1615-582: Is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in the western Florida Panhandle , located about three miles (5 km) southwest of Valparaiso in Okaloosa County . The host unit at Eglin is the 96th Test Wing (formerly the 96th Air Base Wing ). The 96 TW is the test and evaluation center for Air Force air-delivered weapons, navigation and guidance systems, command and control systems, and Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) systems. Eglin AFB

1700-535: Is a Navy-managed command, jointly staffed by Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps personnel. NAVSCOLEOD opened its new consolidated training facility in April 1999. Directorate of the Joint Staff , JAD conducts field analysis of CJADC2 C2 information systems and procedures producing decision-quality data to improve Joint C2 integration and interoperability. Eglin is also one of the few military air bases in

1785-488: Is conducted at different geographical and environmental locations. The mission of the 20 SPCS is to detect, track, identify, and report near Earth and deep space objects in Earth's orbit, and provide space object identification data in support of United States Space Command 's space control mission. A unit of the United States Space Force (USSF), the men and women of the 20th SPCS operate and maintain

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1870-626: Is headquartered at Eglin and serves as the USAF's focal point for operational test and evaluation of armament and avionics, aircrew training devices, chemical defense, aerial reconnaissance improvements, electronic warfare systems, and is responsible for the QF-4 Phantom II Full Scale Aerial Target (FSAT) program and subscale drone programs (located at Tyndall AFB , Florida). The wing tests every fighter, bomber, unmanned aerial vehicle, and associated weapon system in

1955-402: Is intending to release a " constellation of 24 micro-satellites (~20 kilograms (44 lb) range) each with 1-meter imaging resolution ." In May 2013, DARPA requested US$ 40 million for a second year of ALASA program funding in spring 2013. In March 2014, Boeing won the large US$ 32–104 million phase 2 ALASA contract from DARPA. Boeing will use their F-15E Strike Eagle fighter to carry

2040-452: Is that of the launch site's latitude, so launching the satellite from close to the equator limits the amount of inclination change needed later. Additionally, launching from close to the equator allows the speed of the Earth's rotation to give the satellite a boost. A launch site should have water or deserts to the east, so any failed rockets do not fall on a populated area. Most launch vehicles place geostationary satellites directly into

2125-403: Is the gravitational constant , (6.674 28 ± 0.000 67 ) × 10  m kg s . The magnitude of the acceleration, a , of a body moving in a circle is given by: where v is the magnitude of the velocity (i.e. the speed) of the satellite. From Newton's second law of motion , the centripetal force F c is given by: As F c = F g , so that Replacing v with the equation for

2210-541: Is the only special operations wing in the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). In wartime or a contingency, the 919 SOW reports to Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) at Hurlburt Field , Florida, its gaining major command. The Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center stood up Detachment 2 at Eglin to provide realistic operational testing for new and modified weapon systems. The Naval School of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (NAVSCOLEOD)

2295-483: Is the test and evaluation wing for Air Force air-delivered weapons, navigation and guidance systems, command and control (C2) systems, and Air Force Special Operations Command systems. The Eglin Gulf Test Range provides approximately 340,000 square kilometres (130,000 sq mi) of over water airspace. The 96 TW supports other tenant units on the installation with traditional military services as well as all

2380-781: Is typically 70°, and in some cases less. Geostationary satellite imagery has been used for tracking volcanic ash , measuring cloud top temperatures and water vapour, oceanography , measuring land temperature and vegetation coverage, facilitating cyclone path prediction, and providing real time cloud coverage and other tracking data. Some information has been incorporated into meteorological prediction models , but due to their wide field of view, full-time monitoring and lower resolution, geostationary weather satellite images are primarily used for short-term and real-time forecasting. Geostationary satellites can be used to augment GNSS systems by relaying clock , ephemeris and ionospheric error corrections (calculated from ground stations of

2465-408: Is used to provide visible and infrared images of Earth's surface and atmosphere for weather observation, oceanography , and atmospheric tracking. As of 2019 there are 19 satellites in either operation or stand-by. These satellite systems include: These satellites typically capture images in the visual and infrared spectrum with a spatial resolution between 0.5 and 4 square kilometres. The coverage

2550-554: The Air Armament Center (AAC) was deactivated. The center had planned, directed and conducted test and evaluation of U.S. and allied air armament, navigation and guidance systems, and command and controlled systems. It operated two Air Force installations, providing host support not only to Eglin AFB, but also Kirtland AFB , New Mexico . It had included the Armament Product Directorate (Eglin),

2635-616: The DARPA SeeMe program micro-satellites , some questions arose as to why other commercial options currently in development were not considered, such as the Virgin Galactic LauncherOne and the XCOR Aerospace Lynx . DARPA terminated the program in late 2015, due to safety concerns with the unique monopropellant, NA-7 , which exploded in two ground tests. It was reported that development of

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2720-481: The Radio Regulations . In the 1976 Bogota Declaration , eight countries located on the Earth's equator claimed sovereignty over the geostationary orbits above their territory, but the claims gained no international recognition. A statite is a hypothetical satellite that uses radiation pressure from the sun against a solar sail to modify its orbit. It would hold its location over the dark side of

2805-630: The United States Army 's 7th Special Forces Group relocated to a newly constructed cantonment on the Eglin Air Force Base reservation from Fort Bragg , as part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round realigning Fort Bragg. It is tasked with conducting special operations in Latin America. Tenant units at an Air Force installation are units which have a mission that is significantly different from that of

2890-430: The centripetal force required to maintain the orbit ( F c ) is equal to the gravitational force acting on the satellite ( F g ): From Isaac Newton 's universal law of gravitation , where F g is the gravitational force acting between two objects, M E is the mass of the Earth, 5.9736 × 10  kg , m s is the mass of the satellite, r is the distance between the centers of their masses , and G

2975-451: The direction of Earth's rotation . An object in such an orbit has an orbital period equal to Earth's rotational period, one sidereal day , and so to ground observers it appears motionless, in a fixed position in the sky. The concept of a geostationary orbit was popularised by the science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke in the 1940s as a way to revolutionise telecommunications, and the first satellite to be placed in this kind of orbit

3060-586: The speed of an object moving around a circle produces: where T is the orbital period (i.e. one sidereal day), and is equal to 86 164 .090 54  s . This gives an equation for r : The product GM E is known with much greater precision than either factor alone; it is known as the geocentric gravitational constant μ = 398 600 .4418 ± 0.0008 km s . Hence Eglin Air Force Base Eglin Air Force Base ( IATA : VPS , ICAO : KVPS , FAA LID : VPS )

3145-650: The 1st Combat Applications Group (CAG) organized as a combat systems development and test agency under the SAWC. The 1st CAG concentrated on testing and evaluation of primarily short-term projects which might improve Air Force counter-insurgency (COIN) operations. The Special Air Warfare Center, located at Hurlburt Field , undertook to develop tactical air doctrine while training crews for special air warfare in places like Southeast Asia . By mid-1963, SAW groups were in Vietnam and Panama . The USAF Tactical Air Warfare Center

3230-619: The 1st and 2nd Guided Missile Squadrons, had replaced the 1st Experimental Guided Missiles Group. The 2nd Guided Missile Squadron, SSM, had 62 pilots manning 14 B-17s , three B-29s , and four F-80 Shooting Stars , yellow-tailed drone aircraft used in the role of testing guided missiles. In December 1955, the Air Munitions Development Laboratory was reassigned from the Wright Air Development Center at Wright-Patterson AFB , Ohio, to

3315-556: The 3246th Test Wing in October 1992. On 10 August 1994 construction began on the All Conflicts' Veterans War Memorial on the site of the old POW / MIA memorial on the western end of Eglin Boulevard. The memorial was dedicated on 15 August 1995. As part of the military drawdown in the 1990s, the Air Force inactivated the 33d Fighter Wing 's 59th Fighter Squadron on 15 April 1999. The wing lost six aircraft and consolidated

3400-481: The 33d Pursuit Group, the wing's contribution to tactical airpower during its 50-year history has been significant with participation in campaigns around the world, while flying various fighter aircraft. Reactivated at Eglin on 1 April 1965 with F-4C Phantom IIs , the wing operated, successively, F-4D and E models into the 1970s before transitioning to the F-15 Eagle . As of 1 October 2009, the 33d FW transitioned to

3485-536: The 46th Test Wing (Eglin), the 96th Air Base Wing (Eglin), and the 377th Air Base Wing (Kirtland). The US Navy's VFA-101 "Grim Reapers" deactivated on 23 May 2019 after seven years of F-35C training at Eglin. Initial construction of a railroad line into the region had been discussed as early as 1927 as part of the Choctawhatchee and Northern Railroad , though military-use proposals didn't come forward until 1941. German POWs were used in clearing and grading

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3570-445: The ALASA rocket up to 12,000 m (39,000 ft), then release the 7.3 m (24 ft) rocket to ignite and carry itself into orbit. Using a modified fighter-jet to launch the rocket would increase satellite launch sites from four locations ( Cape Canaveral Air Force Station , Florida; Vandenberg Air Force Base , California; Wallops Flight Facility , Virginia; and Kodiak Island , Alaska) to any available runway. The cost to put

3655-833: The AN/FPS-85 radar, the Space Force's only phased-array radar dedicated to tracking Earth-orbiting objects. Royal Netherlands Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation squadron, operates 2 F-35A This unit, which is apparently not a test squadron at all, operates Boeing C-32 Bs in discrete missions for the United States Department of State 's Foreign Emergency Support Team . The 919 SOW, located about five miles (8.0 kilometers) south of Crestview and 32 kilometres (20 mi) from Eglin main at Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field No. 3 ( Duke Field ) and

3740-558: The Air Force Armament Center at Eglin by Headquarters Air Research and Development Command. The responsibility for development of guns, bombs, rockets, fuses, guided missile warheads and other related equipment in the armament field was transferred from the Dayton, Ohio facility at this time. Work on nuclear weapons was not included in this mission. The USAF Special Air Warfare Center was activated 27 April 1962, with

3825-1069: The Air Force inventory. The wing reports to the United States Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base , Nevada , a Direct Reporting Unit (DRU) to Headquarters, Air Combat Command (ACC). The 49 TES is attached to the 53d Wing but located at Barksdale Air Force Base , Louisiana. The squadron plans, executes and reports ACC's weapon system evaluation programs for bombers ( B-52 , B-1 and B-2 ) and nuclear-capable fighters ( F-15E Strike Eagle and F-16 ). These evaluations include operational effectiveness and suitability, command and control, performance of aircraft hardware and software systems, employment tactics, and accuracy and reliability of associated precision weapons. These weapons include air-launched cruise missiles , standoff missiles , and gravity bombs . Results and conclusions support acquisition decisions and development of war plans. The unit also performs operational testing on new systems and tactics development for

3910-617: The Air Force. On 1 October 1979, the center was given division status. The Armament Division, redesignated Munitions Systems Division on 15 March 1989, placed into production the precision-guided munitions for the laser , television , and infrared guided bombs; two anti-armor weapon systems; and an improved hard target weapon, the GBU-28 , used in Operation Desert Storm during the Persian Gulf War . The Division

3995-1148: The B-52. The Armament Directorate located at Eglin is responsible for management of air and ground dominance weapon system programs. Led by the Air Force Program Executive Officer for Weapons, the directorate concurrently reports to the Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, D.C., and the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center , Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. AFRL/RW develops, demonstrates, and transitions science and technology for air-launched munitions for defeating ground fixed, mobile/relocatable, air and space targets to assure pre-eminence of U.S. air and space forces. The directorate conducts basic research, exploratory development, and advanced development and demonstrations. It also participates in programs focused on technology transfer, dual-use technology and small business development. In 2011,

4080-424: The Earth at a latitude of approximately 30 degrees. A statite is stationary relative to the Earth and Sun system rather than compared to surface of the Earth, and could ease congestion in the geostationary ring. Geostationary satellites require some station keeping to keep their position, and once they run out of thruster fuel they are generally retired. The transponders and other onboard systems often outlive

4165-768: The Interagency Task Force for Indochina Refugees, where base personnel housed and processed more than 10,000 Southeast Asian refugees, the first 374 of which arrived on board a Northwest Orient Boeing 747 on 4 May 1975. In 1978, the USAF Tactical Air Warfare Center assumed responsibility for the USAF Air Ground Operations School. In the same year, the Electronic Warfare Evaluation Program became another one of

4250-557: The U.S. to have scheduled passenger airline service as the Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS) is co-located on the base property. Flying and notable non-flying units based at Eglin Air Force Base. Units marked GSU are Geographically Separate Units, which although based at Eglin, are subordinate to a parent unit based at another location. For units permanently based at Eglin's auxiliary airfields, see

4335-577: The USAFTAWC's weapons system evaluation programs, and resulted in the activation of the 4487th Electronic Warfare Aggressor Squadron in 1990. Construction began in 1984 on the Bob Hope Village , the only retirement facility that caters to enlisted military, opening in February 1985. Residents pay below market value for the 256 independent apartments. Col. Bob Gates, Bob Hope 's USO pilot,

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4420-400: The absence of servicing missions from the Earth or a renewable propulsion method, the consumption of thruster propellant for station-keeping places a limitation on the lifetime of the satellite. Hall-effect thrusters , which are currently in use, have the potential to prolong the service life of a satellite by providing high-efficiency electric propulsion . For circular orbits around a body,

4505-416: The alignment during World War II. There was one commercial customer served by the line, a lumber pulp yard at Niceville which is now community athletic fields. The line was later abandoned in the late 1970s and the southern end, west of State Road 285, lifted by the mid-1980s. Eglin is an Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) base serving as the focal point for all Air Force armaments. Eglin is responsible for

4590-564: The base is a census-designated place ; its population was 8,082 at the 2000 census . Eglin Air Force Base had 2,359 military family housing units. Unmarried junior enlisted members generally live in one of Eglin's seven dormitories located near the dining hall, chapel, base gym, enlisted club, and bus lines on base. Each individual unit generally handles dormitory assignments. Bachelor Officer Quarters are not available. Several units and one dormitory were being renovated in 2011. The base covers 463,128 acres (1,874.2 km / 723.6 sqm). The 96 TW

4675-458: The concept was seen as impractical, so Hughes often withheld funds and support. By 1961, Rosen and his team had produced a cylindrical prototype with a diameter of 76 centimetres (30 in), height of 38 centimetres (15 in), weighing 11.3 kilograms (25 lb), light and small enough to be placed into orbit. It was spin stabilised with a dipole antenna producing a pancake shaped beam. In August 1961, they were contracted to begin building

4760-541: The connection in his introduction to The Complete Venus Equilateral . The orbit, which Clarke first described as useful for broadcast and relay communications satellites, is sometimes called the Clarke orbit. Similarly, the collection of artificial satellites in this orbit is known as the Clarke Belt. In technical terminology the orbit is referred to as either a geostationary or geosynchronous equatorial orbit, with

4845-495: The development, acquisition, testing, deployment and sustainment of all air-delivered non-nuclear weapons. The base plans, directs, and conducts test and evaluation of U.S. and allied air armament, navigation and guidance systems, and command and control systems. Severe-weather testing of aircraft and other equipment is carried out here at the McKinley Climatic Laboratory . The residential portion of

4930-659: The equator and appear lower in the sky to an observer nearer the poles. As the observer's latitude increases, communication becomes more difficult due to factors such as atmospheric refraction , Earth's thermal emission , line-of-sight obstructions, and signal reflections from the ground or nearby structures. At latitudes above about 81°, geostationary satellites are below the horizon and cannot be seen at all. Because of this, some Russian communication satellites have used elliptical Molniya and Tundra orbits, which have excellent visibility at high latitudes. A worldwide network of operational geostationary meteorological satellites

5015-474: The equilibrium points would (without any action) be slowly accelerated towards the stable equilibrium position, causing a periodic longitude variation. The correction of this effect requires station-keeping maneuvers with a maximal delta-v of about 2 m/s per year, depending on the desired longitude. Solar wind and radiation pressure also exert small forces on satellites: over time, these cause them to slowly drift away from their prescribed orbits. In

5100-500: The first ALASA flight in late 2015. 12 flights were to be conducted through mid-2016 from Eglin Air Force Base , Florida over the Atlantic Ocean. By June 2015, DARPA and the Air Force had reportedly began SALVO flights, potentially having already commenced them to counter Chinese and Russian electronic and infrared surveillance; this could mean ALASA would give the U.S. a "stealth satellite launch" capability. The program had

5185-477: The first phase, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Virgin Galactic were funded to explore different ALASA system concepts while Northrop Grumman, Space Information Laboratories and Ventions were contracted to work on enabling technologies that could be used by any or all of the system teams. In December 2012, DARPA announced that the ALASA program would provide the launch vehicle booster for another DARPA program that

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5270-553: The following properties: An inclination of zero ensures that the orbit remains over the equator at all times, making it stationary with respect to latitude from the point of view of a ground observer (and in the Earth-centered Earth-fixed reference frame). The orbital period is equal to exactly one sidereal day. This means that the satellite will return to the same point above the Earth's surface every (sidereal) day, regardless of other orbital properties. For

5355-491: The four engines for the first stage at the front rather than rear. DARPA plans to develop a second, smaller launch system called the Small Air Launch Vehicle to Orbit (SALVO) to understand operations cost, demonstrate new technologies like battery-powered pumps for the rocket's engines, and provide overall program before ALASA is launched. SALVO was planned to launch in spring 2015, six to nine months before

5440-523: The ground. All geostationary satellites have to be located on this ring. A combination of lunar gravity, solar gravity, and the flattening of the Earth at its poles causes a precession motion of the orbital plane of any geostationary object, with an orbital period of about 53 years and an initial inclination gradient of about 0.85° per year, achieving a maximal inclination of 15° after 26.5 years. To correct for this perturbation , regular orbital stationkeeping maneuvers are necessary, amounting to

5525-417: The host unit, and rely heavily upon the host unit for day-to-day operations (sewer, power, security, recreation). Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field No. 6 ( Biancur Field ) is the site of Camp James E. Rudder and the home of the U.S. Army's 6th Ranger Training Battalion. The 6th RTB conducts the final phase of the U.S. Army Ranger Course . The entire course is 61 days long and is divided into three phases. Each phase

5610-401: The launch cost. This restricts the number of light satellite launches to 10–12 per year, which could be increased if small payloads could be launched into space affordably and without ground range constraints. Air-launching satellites was first seriously considered during the 1950s and 1960s, but small payloads in the 100-pound class at the time did not have effective capabilities, so the method

5695-476: The planet now have terrestrial communications facilities ( microwave , fiber-optic ), with telephone access covering 96% of the population and internet access 90%, some rural and remote areas in developed countries are still reliant on satellite communications. Most commercial communications satellites , broadcast satellites and SBAS satellites operate in geostationary orbits. Geostationary communication satellites are useful because they are visible from

5780-410: The propellant would continue, as would efforts to apply technologies developed in the program. Geostationary orbit A geostationary orbit , also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit ( GEO ), is a circular geosynchronous orbit 35,786 km (22,236 mi) in altitude above Earth's equator , 42,164 km (26,199 mi) in radius from Earth's center, and following

5865-640: The real satellite. They lost Syncom 1 to electronics failure, but Syncom 2 was successfully placed into a geosynchronous orbit in 1963. Although its inclined orbit still required moving antennas, it was able to relay TV transmissions, and allowed for US President John F. Kennedy in Washington D.C., to phone Nigerian prime minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa aboard the USNS Kingsport docked in Lagos on August 23, 1963. The first satellite placed in

5950-469: The remaining aircraft into the 58th and 60th Fighter Squadrons . Originally selected for inactivation in 1997, Air Force officials delayed the decision in recognition of the Nomads' connection with Khobar Towers . The 59th reactivated as the 59th Test and Evaluation Squadron on 3 December 2004, at Nellis Air Force Base , Nevada. The 59th falls under the 53rd Test Management Group at Eglin. In July 2012

6035-524: The same plane, altitude and speed; however, the presence of satellites in eccentric orbits allows for collisions at up to 4 km/s. Although a collision is comparatively unlikely, GEO satellites have a limited ability to avoid any debris. At geosynchronous altitude, objects less than 10 cm in diameter cannot be seen from the Earth, making it difficult to assess their prevalence. Despite efforts to reduce risk, spacecraft collisions have occurred. The European Space Agency telecom satellite Olympus-1

6120-577: The services of a small city, to include civil engineering, personnel, logistics, communications, computer, medical, security. The 96 TW reports to the Air Force Test Center at Edwards AFB . The 33d FW "Nomads" is the largest tenant unit at Eglin. The 33 FW is a joint graduate flying and maintenance training wing for the F-35 Lightning II , organized under Air Education and Training Command's 19th Air Force. First established as

6205-405: The sky. A geostationary orbit can be achieved only at an altitude very close to 35,786 kilometres (22,236 miles) and directly above the equator. This equates to an orbital speed of 3.07 kilometres per second (1.91 miles per second) and an orbital period of 1,436 minutes, one sidereal day . This ensures that the satellite will match the Earth's rotational period and has a stationary footprint on

6290-492: The terms used somewhat interchangeably. The first geostationary satellite was designed by Harold Rosen while he was working at Hughes Aircraft in 1959. Inspired by Sputnik 1 , he wanted to use a geostationary satellite to globalise communications. Telecommunications between the US and Europe was then possible between just 136 people at a time, and reliant on high frequency radios and an undersea cable . Conventional wisdom at

6375-485: The thruster fuel and by allowing the satellite to move naturally into an inclined geosynchronous orbit some satellites can remain in use, or else be elevated to a graveyard orbit . This process is becoming increasingly regulated and satellites must have a 90% chance of moving over 200 km above the geostationary belt at end of life. Space debris at geostationary orbits typically has a lower collision speed than at low Earth orbit (LEO) since all GEO satellites orbit in

6460-501: The time was that it would require too much rocket power to place a satellite in a geostationary orbit and it would not survive long enough to justify the expense, so early efforts were put towards constellations of satellites in low or medium Earth orbit. The first of these were the passive Echo balloon satellites in 1960, followed by Telstar 1 in 1962. Although these projects had difficulties with signal strength and tracking, issues that could be solved using geostationary orbits,

6545-597: The war, Eglin became a pioneer in developing the techniques for missile launching and handling; and the development of drone or pilotless aircraft beginning with the Republic-Ford JB-2 Loon , an American copy of the V-1 . The 1st Experimental Guided Missiles Group was activated at Eglin Field, Florida, on 6 February 1946, operating out of Auxiliary Field 3. By March 1950, the 550th Guided Missiles Wing, comprising

6630-820: Was activated on 1 November 1963. It would be re-designated as the USAF Air Warfare Center on 1 October 1991. With the increasing U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia in the 1960s, the need for increased emphasis on conventional weapons development made Eglin's mission even more important. On 1 August 1968, the Air Proving Ground Center was redesignated the Armament Development and Test Center to centralize responsibility for research, development, test and evaluation, and initial acquisition of non-nuclear munitions for

6715-535: Was also responsible for developing the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), an Air Force-led joint project with the U.S. Navy . The Air Force Armament Museum was founded on base in 1975. In 1981 the original building housing the museum was condemned and the facility closed until 1984. Selected on 27 April 1975, the installation served as one of four main U.S. Vietnamese Refugee Processing Centers operated by

6800-544: Was established 89 years ago in 1935 as the Valparaiso Bombing and Gunnery Base . It is named in honor of Lt. Col. Frederick I. Eglin (1891–1937), who was killed in a crash of his Northrop A-17 attack aircraft on a flight from Langley to Maxwell Field , Alabama . Much of the base was part of a national forest until the outbreak of World War II in Europe when a proving ground for aircraft armament

6885-760: Was established at Eglin. The U.S. Forest Service ceded over 340,000 acres (1,400 km ) of the Choctawhatchee National Forest to the War Department on 18 October 1940. Eglin Air Force Base evolved from the 1933 creation of the Valparaiso Airport, when an arrowhead-shaped parcel of 137 acres (55 ha) was cleared for use as an airdrome . In 1931, personnel of the Air Corps Tactical School , newly relocated to Maxwell Field , Alabama , sought

6970-674: Was key in getting the comedian's support for the undertaking, as well as lending his name to the project. He was named an honorary board member of the foundation in 1978 and held benefit concerts for nearly two decades. During a 1992 reorganization, the Air Force disestablished Eglin's parent major command, Air Force Systems Command (AFSC) and merged its functions with the former Air Force Logistics Command (AFLC). The newly created major command from this merger, Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC), remains Eglin's parent command to this day. The Development Test Center, Eglin's host unit, became part of AFMC on 30 June 1992. The 46th Test Wing replaced

7055-494: Was launched in 1963. Communications satellites are often placed in a geostationary orbit so that Earth-based satellite antennas do not have to rotate to track them but can be pointed permanently at the position in the sky where the satellites are located. Weather satellites are also placed in this orbit for real-time monitoring and data collection, and navigation satellites to provide a known calibration point and enhance GPS accuracy. Geostationary satellites are launched via

7140-502: Was overlooked. The first air-launched rocket to put a satellite into orbit was the Orbital Sciences Corporation Pegasus , which did it on 13 June 1990; however, it is currently deployed from a heavily modified and expensive Lockheed L-1011 airliner. The ALASA program's objective is to use an unmodified aircraft platform (except for software) that does not have to be dedicated to the mission to place

7225-499: Was struck by a meteoroid on August 11, 1993, and eventually moved to a graveyard orbit , and in 2006 the Russian Express-AM11 communications satellite was struck by an unknown object and rendered inoperable, although its engineers had enough contact time with the satellite to send it into a graveyard orbit. In 2017, both AMC-9 and Telkom-1 broke apart from an unknown cause. A typical geostationary orbit has

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