Norway’s two dual-use satellites designed for communications over the Arctic successfully launched on Sunday night, carrying a U.S. military-hosted payload. This marks the first time an operational U.S. military payload has been hosted on a commercial satellite operated by an allied partner, establishing a new model for future international cooperation, according to U.S. government and industry officials.
The Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission (ASBM) constellation, constructed by Northrop Grumman for Space Norway, was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The satellites are placed in a highly elliptical orbit that covers northern latitudes, including areas over Russia.
Space Norway, a government-run holding company based in Oslo, has recognized the increasing critical need for polar satellite communications, which has grown substantially in recent decades. “The partnership with Space Norway for this mission is the first step toward securing the Arctic region and paving the way for future international collaborations at Space Systems Command (SSC) and across the Space Force,” said Maj. Michael Walsh, chief of the SSC’s Enhanced Polar System-Recapitalization (EPS-R) branch, in a June 27 press release, coinciding with the arrival of the EPS-R payloads at the launch site.
The importance of communications is emphasized in the Pentagon’s recent Arctic Strategy, which heavily relies on cooperation with NATO allies in the region.
“The two satellites work together as a team to ensure consistent coverage, navigating the complexities often associated with communication satellites in challenging environments,” Blake Bullock, vice president for communications systems at Northrop Grumman’s Strategic Space Systems division, stated in an interview with Breaking Defense prior to the launch.
The satellites carry a variety of payloads, including two U.S. Space Force EPS-R jam-resistant communication payloads, an X-band (microwave) communication payload for Norway’s Ministry of Defence, and a Ka-band payload for commercial firm Viasat, which also provides communication satellite services for the Space Force.
The EPS-R payloads operate in the extremely high frequency (EHF) band (ranging from 30 to 300 GHz) and employ the Advanced EHF’s eXtended Data Rate (XDR) waveform to enable high-speed data transmission. These payloads are set to replace the older Enhanced Polar System EHF payloads acquired in 2007.
Originally slated for a 2022 launch, the EPS-R constellation will provide interim communications for U.S. military operators, particularly Northern Command, which has long requested enhanced communication capabilities until the Space Force’s two primary military satellite communication programs, Protected Tactical SATCOM (PATS) and Evolved Strategic SATCOM, become operational.
Bullock highlighted that the EPS-R payload represents decades of expertise at Northrop Grumman as the prime contractor for the Advanced EHF satellites.
She explained that the design of the ASBM satellites allows U.S. military communications to be securely isolated from other onboard operations. “At the end of the day, we can isolate the Space Force’s payload from the rest of the platform to ensure that sensitive information is completely secured,” Bullock remarked.
This setup enables the Space Force to manage and command the EPS-R as though it were its own satellite, providing an effective communication solution in the Arctic region.
Additionally, Northrop Grumman is supplying the ground system for the EPS-R satellites, known as the Control and Planning Segment (CAPS), which is responsible for receiving telemetry and providing configuration commands, mission planning, and cryptographic support for the EPS and EPS-R polar-orbiting payloads.
