WGS 6 (USA 244)

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Description:

• WGS-6 is the sixth satellite in the US Air Force?s Wideband Global Satcom system. Originally named Wideband Gapfiller Satellite, WGS was envisioned as an interim program to bridge the gap between the Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS) and the advanced Transformational Satellite program, which has since been cancelled. Funding for WGS-6 was provided by the Australian government in exchange for access to the Wideband Global Satcom system. Australia was the first country other than the United States to join the WGS program; other countries including Canada, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and New Zealand have since joined, jointly providing funding for the WGS-9 satellite expected to launch in a few years? time.

Mission details:

• Launch delayed from June and July 2013.
• The US military X/Ka-band communications satellite WGS 6 was launched from Cape Canaveral on Aug 8, 2013 expanding the Wideband Global Satcom constellation. The Delta 4 rocket reached a 185 x 6880 km x 25.6 deg parking orbit at 0049 UTC and then an approximately 440 x 66900 km x 24.0 deg supersynchronous transfer orbit at 0100 UTC; the satellite separated from the rocket at 0109 UTC. This WGS satellite was funded by Australia, and the Australian Defense Force also makes use of the network.