Space Systems Command has launched the U.S. Space Force’s third Pathfinder mission aboard Spanish satellite communications operator Hispasat‘s Amazonas Nexus from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
SSC said Monday the Pathfinder 2 mission aims to demonstrate the capabilities of commercially available technologies to provide wideband satellite communications for military applications.
The payload serves as a high bandwidth protected communications transponder to enable connectivity for the U.S. military.
“Pathfinder 2 satisfies warfighter requirements by procuring commercially provided pre-launch transponders and securing bandwidth at a lower total ownership cost,” said Charlotte Gerhart, chief of SSC’s Tactical SATCOM Acquisition Delta.
The Amazonas Nexus satellite launched to orbit onboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40. It separated from its upper stage and reached its targeted orbit approximately 35 minutes after launch.
