The Midcourse Space Experiment satellite (MSX) was launched from Vandenberg AFB, California, by a McDonnell Douglas Delta 2 two-stage model on 25 April.
The 2,760kg spacecraft, which was built by the John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory for the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, is equipped with an array of defence, Earth observation and astronomy payloads.
The primary function of the MSX is to observe and track payloads deployed from missiles to demonstrate the Brilliant Eyes spacecraft technology. It will observe deployments of 26 projectiles deployed from each of two Stars missiles launched from Kauai in the Pacific Ocean. The spacecraft will also be used for space-debris location and tracking.
A McDonnell Douglas Delta 2 three-stage booster will launch the Hughes-built Galaxy 9 communications satellite from Cape Canaveral on 8 May, leaving the Delta 2 with two remaining commercial geostarionary-orbit-satellite launch contracts.
A Lockheed Martin Titan 4 Centaur booster was launched from Cape Canaveral on 24 April carrying either a classified Magnum geostationary-orbiting or Advanced Jumpseat elliptical-orbiting signals intelligence satellite.
Source: Flight International