THE US ARMY and prime contractor Boeing North American plan to test in April a critical component of a weapon which has been designed to knock out low-altitude surveillance and communications satellites.
The kinetic-kill vehicle (KKV), the key subsystem of the anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon, will use electro-optical (EO) homing to intercept satellites in low-Earth orbit. In the planned short-duration test to be conducted at Edwards AFB, California in April, the prototype KKV will be powered up and attempt to hover up to 30ft (9m ) above the ground while the EO seeker is put through its paces.
The US Army initiated a research-and-development programme in 1990 to develop a non-explosive kinetic-energy anti-satellite (KE ASAT) system. As envisioned, the KKV would unfold a sail which strikes and disables a spacecraft while holding space debris to a minimum.
Components of two ASATs were fabricated, and one was successfully ground tested in 1994 by Rockwell International's Rocketdyne division, which was acquired by Boeing in 1996.
A refurbished rocket booster would launch the KKV. Candidate rockets include the STARS booster (the first and second stages of de-activated Polaris sea-launched ballistic missiles) and the retired Minuteman II intercontinental ballistic missile. The booster will be selected within six months.
If funding is found, two flight tests will take place during fiscal years 1998 and 1999, but the weapons would not be tested against actual spacecraft.
In 1993, the US Army issued an operational requirements document for the weapon, establishing a requirement, but the Pentagon has requested no funding for the KE ASAT since FY1993, claiming that other programmes have higher priority.
Backers on Capitol Hill, including William Cohen, who is now the US defence chief, added $30 million and $50 million in FY1996 and FY1997 to keep the project alive.
Source: Flight International
