Kristen Smith
Northrop Grumman has delivered the two satellites for Space Norway‘s Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission, or ASBM, to Vandenberg Space Force Base, where they are scheduled for launch as soon as mid-July aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Northrop said Friday that ASBM-1 and ASBM-2 will be deployed to highly elliptical polar orbits to deliver commercial broadband and protected military satellite communications to the Arctic region.
The spacecraft will carry communication payloads from Viasat, the Norwegian military and the U.S. military, such as the Space Systems Command’s Enhanced Polar System-Recapitalization.
The EPS-R will be the first U.S. military payload that will operate on a commercial space vehicle operated by an international partner.
“Northrop Grumman’s work with ASBM showcases our decades of on-orbit experience and end-to-end space technology expertise, delivering coverage to one of the most hard-to-reach regions of the globe,” said Brandon White, vice president and general manager of tactical space systems at Northrop.
