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DSP Satellites Play Key Role in Nation's Defense
This artist's rendering shows a Northrop Grumman-built Defense Support Program
(DSP) satellite in its role as an orbiting sentry. For over 30 years, these satellites
have played a vital role in the nation's defense by detecting and reporting on missile
launches. Northrop Grumman Space Technology builds the DSP satellite for the U.S.
Air Force Space & Missile Systems Center, and integrates the sensor provided
by Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems.
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DSP Undergoes Spin Balance Test
Image captures the Defense Support Program Flight 22 spacecraft in the midst of
a spin balance test at Northrop Grumman’s Space Park facility. This test is performed
with balance weight trays (the blue structures) to ensure the satellite is evenly
balanced. A three-axis, spin stabilized satellite, DSP rotates about its central
axis on-orbit – enabling its infrared sensor to stare at a fixed location. DSP satellites
have continuously proven their utility over their long operational life, most recently
in Operation Iraqi Freedom where they reported on static infrared events and high
explosive events.
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Solar Array Paddles Tested in High Bay
DSP Undergoes Spin Balance TestNorthrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) engineers
and technicians are shown performing deployment tests on Defense Support Program
Flight 22’s solar array paddles in a manufacturing high bay. They are verifying
that the hinges, harnesses and overall deployment systems work according to specifications.
This is just one of hundreds of tests performed by Northrop Grumman on the satellite
prior to shipment to Cape Canaveral for launch to ensure its reliability.
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DSP Loaded on C-5 Galaxy for Shipment to Florida
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) shipped the 22nd Defense Support Program
(DSP) satellite in August 2003 to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., for launch
processing. The satellite was loaded into the cavernous cargo bay of a C-5 galaxy
transport aircraft for the five-hour flight from Los Angeles to Florida. DSP satellites
provide early detection and warning of missile launches and nuclear explosions to
the NORAD and operational command. The satellite constellation has been the cornerstone
of North America’s early warning system for more than 30 years.
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