Multi-national contribution to U.S. military network delivered for launch

The next satellite for the U.S. military’s communications network, this one purchased by five international allies, has arrived in Florida for its launch in March atop a Delta 4 rocket.

The ninth Wideband Global SATCOM spacecraft has been delivered to Cape Canaveral from the Boeing factory in Los Angeles.

A United Launch Alliance Delta 4 vehicle will propel the craft into space on March 8 during a 121-minute window that opens at 6:35 p.m. EST (2335 GMT).

WGS 9 was built with funding from Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and New Zealand.

The partner nations bought the satellite in exchange for access to the entire constellation, similar to the groundbreaking deal with Australia that paid for the construction and launch of WGS 6.

The arrival of WGS 9 comes just a month after the successful launch of WGS 8 aboard another Delta 4 from the Cape. The satellite is undergoing electric propulsion maneuvers to reach geostationary orbit 22,300 miles above Earth.

See earlier Delta 377 coverage.

Our Delta archive.