WGS F5 (USA 243)

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WGS F5 (USA 243) is classified as:

Military

NORAD ID: 39168

Int'l Code: 2013-024A

Perigee: 35,793.5 km

Apogee: 35,794.0 km

Inclination: 0.0 °

Period: 1,436.1 minutes

Semi major axis: 42164 km

RCS: 0.2102 m² (medium)

Launch date: May 25, 2013
Source: United States (US)
Launch site: AIR FORCE EASTERN TEST RANGE (AFETR)

WGS F5 (USA 243) is the fifth in a major program to upgrade to the military's main communications infrastructure, replacing the aging Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS) spacecraft. Each WGS has 10 times the capacity of a DSCS satellite, allowing users to process and receive data quicker than ever before. The craft's communications package provides shaped, steerable spotbeams of bandwidth wherever requested across its field-of-view for X- and Ka-band frequencies, plus the onboard capability to switch signals from one band to the other.

1 39168U 13024A   25195.52336409 -.00000276  00000-0  00000-0 0  9997
2 39168   0.0204  38.3091 0000053 211.2009 179.0431  1.00271685 43789

Source of the keplerian elements: McCants