. 24/7 Space News .
MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS
Partners in space, partners in signature: an AEHF tradition
by Staff Writers
Los Angeles AFB CA (SPX) Aug 10, 2018

The thermal "Space Blanket" signed by U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin personnel, at Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., June 22, 2018, celebrates the partnership between the two organizations completing an important phase in the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite program. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Walter Talens)

The Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) Program marked a significant occasion, June 22 when members of the leadership team at the Space and Missile Systems Center, the Aerospace Corporation and Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company all gathered to place their signatures on a thermal space blanket that will travel in space inside the AEHF-4 satellite this coming October.

"We have an opportunity today to bring part of our next space vehicle for the AEHF Program here [for signatures] for some of the folks that have worked on the program for a long time," said Col. David Ashley, AEHF Program Division Chief.

"We were fortunate to have Gen. Thompson, [SMC Commander], to write some messages down on this spacecraft vehicle blanket that's going to be wrapped around part of our satellite and launched into space."

Thermal space blankets were also known as emergency blankets when NASA first developed them in 1964.

According to NASA.gov, "the blankets are highly reflective insulators that are often included in emergency kits and are also used by long-distance runners after finishing a race to avoid a large swing in body temperature." During the signing ceremony, all participants had to wear special gloves and use a special marker that was pre-approved for space so as to not contaminate the blanket.

The thermal blanket's use on the AEHF-4 satellite has the same objective as it does for humans; to help control the temperature variations that can sometimes happen during space travel or to keep the human body temperature stabilized.

The thermal space blanket will not only protect AEHF-4's sensitive components from temperature shifts in space but it will also ensure these parts stay within operational limits despite extreme temperature ranges that can fluctuate anywhere between -50 to 100 degrees Celsius.

"Space is a very difficult environment for any kind of electronic or mechanical components to work properly. Engineers use radiators, thermal blankets, and heaters to keep these components at the right temperature," Col.

Ashley said. "This [blanket signing ceremony] represents team-work and the challenges of getting something so technical and complex up in space. The capabilities it provides to our nation and our allies is unrivaled and no other country has this capability for strategic and protected communications."

The Advanced Extremely High Frequency System is a joint service satellite communications system that will provide survivable, global, secure, protected, and jam-resistant communications for high-priority military ground, sea and air assets.

Advanced EHF will allow the National Security Council and Unified Combatant Commanders to control their tactical and strategic forces at all levels of conflict through general nuclear war and supports the attainment of information superiority. The AEHF System is the follow-on to the Milstar system, augmenting and improving on the capabilities of Milstar, and expanding the MILSATCOM architecture.


Related Links
Air Force Space Command
Read the latest in Military Space Communications Technology at SpaceWar.com


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS
Lockheed receives contract for advanced satellite communications
Washington (UPI) Aug 6, 2018
Lockheed Martin Space Systems has received a $32 million modification to an existing contract for Advanced Extremely High Frequency Satellite Vehicle 4. The modification, announced Friday by the Department of Defense, provides for SV 4 operational resiliency phase one of the AEHF. Work will be performed in Sunnyvale, Calif., and is projected to be finished by January 2021. Air Force fiscal 2018 space research, development and evaluation funds in the amount of $4 million are being obligat ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS
NASA makes progress toward planetary science decadal priorities

Recipe for a spacewalk

ISS end-of-life options

NASA announces new partnerships to develop space exploration technologies

MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS
NASA Reveals How It Would Stay Afloat Without Delivery of Russian Rocket Engines

PLD SPACE signs a 25-year concession for rocket engine testing at Teruel Airport

Aerojet Rocketdyne boosters complete simulated air-launch tests

NASA Selects US Firms to Provide Commercial Suborbital Flight Services

MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS
Aerojet Rocketdyne delivers power generator for Mars 2020 Rover

Still no change in Opportunity's status

Sorry Elon Musk, but it's now clear that colonising Mars is unlikely

Russia Plans to Send Capsule With Microorganisms to Mars

MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS
China to launch space station Tiangong in 2022, welcomes foreign astronauts

China's SatCom launch marketing not limited to business interest

China solicits international cooperation experiments on space station

Growing US unease with China's new deep space facility in Argentina

MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS
NASA invests in concepts for a vibrant future commercial space economy

New Image Gallery For The Planetary Science Archive

Xenesis, Atlas and Laser Light form first space to ground all optical global data distribution joint venture

Bangladesh PM opens satellite ground stations

MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS
NASA studies space applications for GaN crystals

NIST shows laser ranging can 'see' 3D objects melting in fires

It's Surprisingly Hard to Go to the Sun

PhD student develops spinning heat shield for future spacecraft

MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS
Scientist begins developing instrument for finding extraterrestrial bacteria

Tiny tunnels inside garnets appear to be the result of boring microorganisms

Largest haul of extrasolar planets for Japan

Omega Centauri unlikely to harbor life

MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS
Study helps solve mystery under Jupiter's coloured bands

Million fold increase in the power of waves near Jupiter's moon Ganymede

New Horizons team prepares for stellar occultation ahead of Ultima Thule flyby

High-Altitude Jovian Clouds









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.