CBAS (USA 283, AFSPC 11)

Launch data: Designation  43339 / 18036A Launch date  14 Apr 2018 - 23:13 UT Launch site  CC, SLC-41 Launch vehicle  Atlas-5/551 (AV-79) Mission  Mil.Communication Geostationary orbit: Perigee / Apogee  35785 x 35803 km Eccentricity   Inclination  0.0° Period  1436.1 min

Illustration of the deployed ESPA vehicle (image credit: Orbital ATK)

Spacecraft data:

Description:

• On Apr 14, 2018 ULA launched Atlas AV-079 with a US military payload. The Centaur stage made three burns to deliver the CBAS and EAGLE satellites to orbit.
• The ULA press kit implied a 38992 x 38992 km x 0 deg orbit thousands of km above the geosynchronous belt, but this appears to have been a typo or misinformation, since hobbyists soon located the payloads in a near-synchronous 35233 x 35275 km x 0.1 deg orbit. By May 11, CBAS was braking to geostationary at 112W.
• The CBAS (Continuous Broadcast Augmenting SATCOM) satellite is operated by USAF SMC′s Military Satellite Communications Directorate. Its manufacturer is unknown, and its role is obscure.

External links:

• EOportal.org Satellite description
• Satellite tracking (n2ya.com): Real time satellite tracking