Orbiting Earth for sixmonths, the U.S. Air Force XSS-11 (Experimental Satellite System-11) hasachieved an early objective--to rendezvous with other space hardware.
The small, low-costspacecraft was developed by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL)Space Vehicles Directorate at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico. The XSS-11is shaking out technology and techniques for future military space purposes, beit for in-space servicing and repair of other satellites to up-close inspectionof objects in space.
XSS-11 has flown repeatrendezvous maneuvers with the Minotaur upper stage that deposited it intoorbit, reported Harold "Vern" Baker, AFRL's XSS-11 program manager. "Thesatellite is doing outstanding," and has accomplished "a significant milestone."
Baker told SPACE.com thatthe XSS-11 is carrying out "passively safe trajectories" to repeatedly reachthe Minotaur upper stage. The Air Force experimental spacecraft approached thespent stage, maneuvering to as close as about 1,640 feet (500 meters) distance.
"We do have some imagery" ofthe upper stage taken by XSS-11, Baker said. That data is still being reducedand reviewed, he added.
The up-close look-seeproduced no surprises, Baker said, but there was "a lot of excitement when ithappened."
"Our fuel consumption hasbeen extremely good," Baker explained. "We've used about 10 percent of our fuelso far" after being in orbit for six months, he said.
Baker said that thepropellant onboard the XSS-11 should allow the vehicle to accomplish itsmission. "We expect to go for another year," he explained.
For example, XSS-11operators were considering a rendezvous in the near-term with an old Thor upperstage. "That was within the next three weeks, so we probably won't go see it.We'll wait for another one," Baker said.
Baker said that XSS-11 isthe best satellite he's ever flown. The comment is made all the more sweetergiven the total project cost: $82 million, including launch, operations, thespacecraft itself, and all the ground control hardware, Baker noted.
Lockheed Martin SpaceSystems Company near Denver, Colorado is AFRL's structure, propulsion andsystems support contractor for XSS-11.
The groundwork for an XSS-12mission - still to be fully defined - is already in motion. Perhaps by year'send, Baker explained, the duties of such a follow-on satellite may be clear. Tofurther hone Air Force space technology, not all progress depends on XSS-typesatellites.
"We're a lab dedicated todeveloping technologies needed by the Air Force for future missions," Bakersaid. Those needs could mean anything, he said, from docking, servicing,inspection to imaging.
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