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Air Force launches top secret satellite

Date:	Tuesday September 09, @07:01PM
Author:	ewing2001
Topic:	Bush
from the CNN dept.

Behind the "secret project" is CSC/DynCorp, Welkin Associates, Northrop Grumman Tasc

Air Force launches top secret satellite

CNN -Tuesday, September 9, 2003

Photo: A Titan rocket carries the top secret satellite into space early Tuesday

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Florida (CNN) -- The Air Force launched a top-secret satellite Tuesday for the National Reconnaissance Office, which operates the United States' fleet of spy spacecraft.

A Titan IV-B rocket was used to launch the large spacecraft, believed to be an electronics listening satellite, into a position 22,300 miles above the Earth's equator.

The National Reconnaissance Office would not reveal any details about the satellite, including its cost, purpose or which contractor built it.

"I cannot discuss what the payload is other than to tell you that it will provide additional capabilities for our nation's leadership and military," said Art Haubold, a spokesman for the NRO.

This particular satellite was delayed for more than three years due to technical problems and had been scheduled for launch as recently as several months ago.

The NRO's electronics listening satellites use baseball diamond-size antennas which fold up like an umbrella for launch.

MISSION AND STRATEGIC VISION WORKING GROUP MEMBERSHIP

Members	Organization
Gordon Negus (Chairman)	Aerospace
William Savage (Vice-Chairman)	TASC
Dennis Adams	NRO/SI
Dr. Frank Berko	NSA
Dr. Louis Blackwell	NRO/COMM
Joseph Bozzay	NRO/IM
David Broadhurst	CIO
Col. Robert Cox	ASAF (Space)
Lt. Col. William Doyle	USSPACECOM
Kawana Hutson	NRO/OSO
Jose Jiminez	Welkin Associates (for DoD/OSA)
Allen Krum	NRO/IM
Col John Landon	DUSD (S)
CAPT Matthew Rogers	DoD/OSA
Rick Shackelford	TASC
Col Eric Sundberg	NRO/OSA
Col Christopher Waln	AFMC/SMC
Robert Weber	CIA
James Wilson	Aerospace (for NRO/P&A;)

Welkin Associates, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Computer Sciences Corporation, Inc., is a Northern Virginia-based systems engineering and technical assistance (SETA) company specializing in:

Program management (assisting customers through all phases of a program cycle from request for proposals through program completion)
Business management (assisting customers in applying earned-value and other leading-edge business management techniques)
Research and development (assisting customers with all phases including requirements definition, rapid prototyping, and field testing)
Logistics (assisting customers in defining logistics requirements during program development and refining logistics efficiency throughout the life of a program)
Space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (in support of the intelligence community and military operations)
Space-based communications (in support of space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance)

Since 1988, Welkin Associates has provided a high quality of professional, technical support to U.S. Government civilian and military customers. Welkin has a well-earned reputation for organizing and working successfully as part of tightly-knit Government-industry teams. Welkin and its individual associates are motivated primarily by the opportunity to participate in solving many of this nation's greatest challenges in the areas of space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

"...On March 7, 2003, CSC completed its acquisition of DynCorp, a large federal government contractor with extensive experience in the A&D; industry. The DynCorp acquisition expands CSC's offerings in areas such as Aviation Services, Base Operations, Logistics Support Services and Range Technical Services..."

"...TASC, Inc., is a business unit of Northrop Grumman Information Technology. TASC provides critical systems engineering, information management, and integrated systems management skills to our nation's intelligence, information operations & assurance, space, and communications programs and activities.

Northrop Grumman operates through six sectors: Electronic Systems, headquartered in Baltimore, Md.; Information Technology, headquartered in Herndon, Va.; Integrated Systems, based in Dallas, Tex.; Ship Systems, headquartered in Pascagoula, Miss.; Newport News, headquartered in Newport News, Va.; and Component Technologies, based in Iselin, N.J.

From its headquarters in Los Angeles, Calif., Northrop Grumman operates in 44 states and 25 countries. The company has expected 2002 revenues of approximately $18 billion and has a workforce of approximately 100,000 talented men and women.

Northrop Grumman Information Technology is a premier provider of advanced IT solutions, engineering and business services for government and commercial clients. Headquartered in Herndon, the company's expertise spans such areas as information systems integration; command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR); enterprise hardware and software solutions; training and simulation; base and range support; signals intelligence; space systems; and specialized scientific, engineering and technical services..."

Other partners:

Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (DUSD)

Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC)

USSPACECOM, which is a unified command, drawing on the Army Space Command (USARSPACE), Naval Space Command (NAVSPACECOM) and the Air Force Space Command (AFSPACECOM). NAVSPASUR is merely one of the facilities tapped by USSPACECOM for its tracking data.

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