The US Air Force’s satellite command and control system, the Multimission Satellite Operations Center (MMSOC) ground system architecture, has gone operational with the launch of the multipayload experimental space test programme STP-S26 mission, STPSat-2.
Lockheed Martin and the US Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center Space Development and Test Directorate have developed the architecture.
Lockheed Martin Information Systems and Global Services-Defense vice-president for operational systems and services Bob Kramer said the MMSOC eliminated the “single satellite – single ground station” paradigm and enabled the air force to fly multiple constellations of spacecraft with various missions from the single ground station.
The US Air Force is deploying a second MMSOC at the 50th Space Wing at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado, US.
The satellite is expected to become operational with the launch of the operationally responsive space satellite, ORS-1, early next year.
