GovSat-1 satellite arrives on Space Coast ahead of launch on SpaceX Falcon 9
Emre KellyA spacecraft that will be hurled to orbit on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station later this month has arrived on the Space Coast, according to its Luxembourg-based operator.
GovSat-1, the first in a constellation of satellites designed with a focus on secure communications for government and military applications, is scheduled to launch on a previously flown Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than late January from Launch Complex 40. The satellite will be placed in a geostationary transfer orbit, according to SpaceX.
GovSat-1 was built by Orbital ATK, which was recently purchased by aerospace and defense giant Northrop Grumman. GovSat, meanwhile, is a public-private joint venture between Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES and the country's government.
Contact Emre Kelly at aekelly@floridatoday.com or 321-242-3715. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook at @EmreKelly.
[SpaceX fuels Falcon Heavy at KSC ahead of next test fire attempt]
[After month-long stay at ISS, SpaceX Dragon splashes down in Pacific]
