 Artist's impression of an AEHF-4 satellite | |
| Names | AEHF-4 Advanced Extremely High Frequency-4 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Military communications |
| Operator | United States Air Force /United States Space Force |
| COSPAR ID | 2018-079A |
| SATCATno. | 43651 |
| Website | https://www.spaceforce.mil/ |
| Mission duration | 14 years (planned) 7 years, 3 months and 29 days(in progress) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | AEHF-4 |
| Bus | A2100M |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin Space |
| Launch mass | 6,168 kg (13,598 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 17 October 2018, 04:15UTC |
| Rocket | Atlas V 551 (AV-079) |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral,SLC-41 |
| Contractor | United Launch Alliance |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Geosynchronous orbit |
USA-288, also known asAdvanced Extremely High Frequency 4 orAEHF-4, is a militarycommunications satellite operated by theUnited States Air Force. It is the fourth of six satellite to be launched as part of theAdvanced Extremely High Frequency program, which replaced the earlierMilstar system.[1]
The USA-288 satellite was constructed byLockheed Martin Space, and is based on theA2100satellite bus. The satellite has a mass of 6,168 kg (13,598 lb) and a design life of 14 years.[2] It will be used to providesuper high frequency (SHF) andextremely high frequency (EHF) communications for theUnited States Armed Forces, as well as those of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Canada.[2]
USA-288 was launched byUnited Launch Alliance, aboard anAtlas V 551 flying fromSLC-41 at theCape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS). The launch occurred at 04:15UTC on 17 October 2018,[3] placing the satellite in a parking orbit of 176 kilometers by 485 kilometers. A second burn placed the satellite into ageostationary transfer orbit (GTO) with aperigee of 202 km (126 mi), anapogee of 22,578 km (14,029 mi), and 25.9°inclination.[4] A third and final burn, designed to minimize the amount of orbit raising required by the satellite, placed AEHF-4 in a 12.8° inclination orbit with aperigee of 8,914 kilometers and anapogee of 35,300 kilometers.[4] The satellite was successfully deployed in this orbit about three and a half hours after launch.[1]
