Tue, Apr 17, 2018
EAGLE Launched Saturday From Cape Canaveral Air Force Station In Florida
Orbital ATK designed the EAGLE (ESPA Augmented Geostationary Laboratory Experiment) experimental satellite for the U.S. Air Force’s AFSPC-11 mission that successfully launched on United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V vehicle April 14 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The AFSCPC-11 mission included a second company designed satellite, Mycroft, which is among several Department of Defense experiments hosted on the EAGLE platform as separate payloads.
The EAGLE and Mycroft satellites are based on the company’s ESPAStar™ and ESPASat™ products, which provide modular, cost-effective and highly capable infrastructure resources for hosting technology development and operational payloads. The Orbital ATK-designed EAGLE satellite is the first spacecraft based on the company’s innovative ESPAStar platform. The ESPAStar vehicle can accommodate any combination of up to six hosted or 12 separable, free-flyer payloads in low and geosynchronous orbit and is built to provide an even greater level of access to space. Orbital ATK designed and delivered the EAGLE satellite under a contract with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Space Vehicles Directorate.
After a successful separation from the launch vehicle, EAGLE is hosting several Department of Defense payloads, including Mycroft, the second Orbital ATK-designed satellite to be deployed on the mission. Mycroft, a separable, fly-away experiment, utilized the company’s ESPASat platform for its flight. ESPASat is designed as an affordable GEO bus that can be launched as a secondary payload from an ESPAStar platform.
“Orbital ATK is proud to partner with the U.S. Air Force on the EAGLE and Mycroft missions,” said Chris Long, Vice President, National Security Systems at Orbital ATK. “Our unique capabilities to host separating and non-separating payloads represent a turning point in affordable access to space for small satellites and payloads.”
(Image provided with Orbital ATK news release)
More News
Aero Linx: Transport Canada We are a federal institution, leading the Transport Canada portfolio and working with our partners. Transport Canada is responsible for transportation p>[...]
Gross Navigation Error (GNE) A lateral deviation from a cleared track, normally in excess of 25 Nautical Miles (NM). More stringent standards (for example, 10NM in some parts of th>[...]
From AirVenture 2017 (YouTube Edition): Flight-Proven Booster On Display At AirVenture… EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is known primarily as a celebration of experimental and amateu>[...]
Aircraft Parachute System (CAPS) Was Deployed About 293 Ft Above Ground Level, Which Was Too Low To Allow For Full Deployment Of The Parachute System Analysis: The day before the a>[...]
Also: 48th Annual Air Race Classic, Hot Air Balloon Fire, FAA v Banning 100LL, Complete Remote Pilot The news Piper PA-18 Super Cub owners have been waiting for has finally arrived>[...]
ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (06.29.25)
See All