USA-263

United States Space Force military communications satellite constellation

USA-263

Artist's impression of a WGS-7 satellite in orbit

Names| WGS-7
WGS SV-7
Wideband Global SATCOM-7
Mission type| Military communications
Operator| United States Air Force / United States Space Force
COSPAR ID| 2015-036A
SATCAT no.| 40746
Website| https://www.spaceforce.mil/
Mission duration| 14 years (planned)
7 years, 2 months and 25 days (in progress)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft| WGS-7
Spacecraft type| WGS Block II
Bus| BSS-702HP
Manufacturer| Boeing Satellite Systems
Launch mass| 5,987 kg (13,199 lb)
Dry mass| 3,000 kg (6,600 lb)
Power| 11 kW
Start of mission
Launch date| 24 July 2015, 00:07 UTC[1]
Rocket| Delta IV M+ (5,4) (s/n D372)
Launch site| Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B
Contractor| United Launch Alliance
Orbital parameters
Reference system| Geocentric orbit
Regime| Geostationary orbit
Transponders
Band| X-band and Ka-band
Frequency| 7.2 / 8.4 GHz (X-band)
30 / 20 GHz (Ka-band)

Wideband Global SATCOM Satellite constellation

<- WGS-6 (USA-244)

WGS-8 (USA-272) ->

USA-263, or Wideband Global SATCOM 7 (WGS-7) is a United States military communications satellite operated by the United States Air Force as part of the Wideband Global SATCOM programme. Launched in 2015, it was the seventh WGS satellite to reach orbit. It is stationed at a longitude of 135° West, in geostationary orbit. WGS-7 was procured by the United States Air Force.[2]

## Contents

* 1 Overview
* 2 Satellite description
* 3 Launch
* 4 References

## Overview[edit]

The WGS system is a constellation of highly capable military communications satellites that leverage cost-effective methods and technological advances in the communications satellite industry. The WGS system is composed of three principal segments: Space Segment (satellites), Control Segment (operators) and Terminal Segment (users). Each WGS satellite provides service in multiple frequency bands, with the unprecedented ability to cross-band between the two frequencies on board the satellite. WGS augments other satellites.[3]

In early 2001, a satellite communications industry team led by Boeing Satellite Systems was selected to develop the Wideband Gapfiller Satellite (WGS) system as successors to the Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS) series of communications satellites. This satellite communications system is intended to support the warfighter with newer and far greater capabilities than provided by current systems. In March 2007, the acronym WGS was changed to Wideband Global SATCOM.[4]

Just one WGS satellite provides more SATCOM capacity than the entire legacy Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS) constellation.[3]

As the backbone of the U.S. military's global satellite communications, Wideband Global SATCOM Satellite (WGS) system provides flexible, high-capacity communications for the Nation's warfighters through procurement and operation of the satellite constellation and the associated control systems. WGS provides worldwide flexible, high data rate and long haul communications for the Department of Defense (DOD), governmental organizations and international partners.[3]

## Satellite description[edit]

The order for long lead items for WGS-7 was placed in August 2010. The final contract for this satellite was awarded in September 2011, together with long lead items for WGS-8 and an option for WGS-9. Built by Boeing Satellite Systems, WGS-7 is based on the BSS-702HP satellite bus. It had a mass at launch of 5,987 kg (13,199 lb), and was expected to operate for fourteen years. The spacecraft is equipped with two solar panels to generate power for its communications payload, which consists of cross-band X-band and Ka-band transponders. Propulsion is provided by an R-4D-15 apogee motor, with four XIPS-25 ion engines for stationkeeping.[4]

## Launch[edit]

WGS-7 was launched by United Launch Alliance (ULA), who placed it into orbit using a Delta IV M+ (5,4) launch vehicle, flight number D372. The launch took place from Space Launch Complex 37B (SLC-37B) at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), with liftoff at 00:07 UTC on 24 July 2015.[1] The launch was successful, placing the WGS-7 into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), from which the spacecraft raised itself into geostationary orbit using its onboard propulsion system. The satellite was designated USA-263 under the U.S. military's designation system, and received the International Designator 2015-036A and Satellite Catalog Number 40746.[1][2][5]

## References[edit]

* Spaceflight portal

1. ^ a b c "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Report. 14 March 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
2. ^ a b "ULA Delta IV successfully lofts WGS-7". NASASpaceFlight.com. 23 July 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
3. ^ a b c "Fact Sheets: Wideband Global SATCOM Satellite". United States Space Force. October 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
4. ^ a b "WGS 4, 5, 6, 7". Gunter's Space Page. 19 March 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
5. ^ "Delta 4 Launches 7th WGS satellite". SpaceNews. 23 July 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2021.

* v
* t
* e

← 2014 * Orbital launches in 2015 * 2016 →

January|

* SpaceX CRS-5 (Flock-1d' × 2, AESP-14)
* MUOS-3
* SMAP, FIREBIRD II A, B, GRIFEX, ExoCube

February|

* IGS-Radar Spare
* Inmarsat 5-F2
* Fajr
* DSCOVR
* Progress M-26M
* Kosmos 2503 / Bars-M No. 1

March|

* ABS-3A, Eutelsat 115 West B
* WADIS-2
* MMS
* Ekspress AM7
* USA-260 / GPS IIF-9
* KOMPSat-3A
* IGS-Optical 5
* Soyuz TMA-16M
* Galileo FOC-3, FOC-4
* IRNSS-1D
* BeiDou I1-S
* Gonets-M 11, 12, 13, Kosmos 2504

April|

* SpaceX CRS-6 (Arkyd-3R, AggieSat 4, Bevo 2, Flock-1e × 14)
* Thor 7, SICRAL-2
* TürkmenÄlem 52°E / MonacoSAT
* Progress M-27M

May|

* Mexsat-1
* USA-261 / X-37 OTV-4, LightSail-1, USS Langley, BRICSat-P, ParkinsonSat, GEARRS-2, AeroCube 8A, 8B, OptiCube 1, 2, 3
* DirecTV-15, SKY México-1

June|

* Kosmos 2505 / Kobalt-M
* Sentinel-2A
* Kosmos 2506 / Persona No.3
* Gaofen 8
* SpaceX CRS-7 (Flock-1f × 8)

July|

* Progress M-28M
* UK-DMC 3 × 3, CBNT-1, DeOrbitSail
* USA-262 / GPS IIF-10
* Star One C4, MSG-4
* Soyuz TMA-17M
* USA-263 / WGS-7
* BeiDou M1-S, M2-S

August|

* HTV-5 / Kounotori 5 (SERPENS, S-CUBE, Flock-2b × 14, AAUSAT 5, GOMX 3)
* Eutelsat 8 West B, Intelsat 34
* Yaogan 27
* GSAT-6 / INSAT-4E
* Inmarsat 5-F3

September|

* Soyuz TMA-18M
* MUOS-4
* Galileo FOC-5, FOC-6
* TJS-1
* Gaofen 9
* Ekspress AM8
* XY-2, Tiantuo-3, ZDPS 2A, 2B, Xiwang-2 × 6, DCBB, LilacSat-2, NUDT-Phone-Sat, Xingchen × 4, NS-2, Zijing × 2
* Kosmos 2507, 2508, 2509 / Strela-3M × 3
* Pujian-1, Tianwang 1A, 1B, 1C
* Astrosat, LAPAN-A2, ExactView 9, Lemur-2 × 4
* BeiDou I2-S
* NBN-Co 1A, ARSAT-2

October|

* Progress M-29M
* Mexsat-2
* Jilin-1, Lingqiao A, Lingqiao B, LQSAT
* USA-264 / NOSS Intruder × 2 / NROL-55, AeroCube-5c, 7, SNaP-3 × 3, PropCube × 2, SINOD-D × 2, ARC-1, BisonSat, AMSAT Fox-1, LMRST-Sat
* APStar-9
* Türksat 4B
* Tianhui 1C
* USA-265 / GPS IIF-11

November|

* Chinasat 2C
* HiakaSat, EDSN × 8, PrintSat, Argus, STACEM, Supernova-Beta
* Yaogan 28
* Arabsat 6B, GSAT-15
* Kosmos 2510 / EKS-1 / Tundra-11L
* LaoSat-1
* Telstar 12V
* Yaogan 29

December|

* LISA Pathfinder
* Kosmos 2511 / Kanopus-ST, Kosmos 2512 / KYuA-1
* Cygnus CRS OA-4 (Flock-2e × 12, CADRE, MinXSS 1, Nodes × 2, STMSat 1, SIMPL)
* ChinaSat 1C
* Elektro-L No.2
* Kosmos 2513 / Garpun-12L
* Soyuz TMA-19M
* TeLEOS-1, VELOX-C1, Kent Ridge 1, VELOX 2, Galassia, Athenoxat-1
* DAMPE
* Galileo FOC-8, FOC-9
* Progress MS-01
* Orbcomm-2 × 11
* Ekspress-AMU1
* Gaofen 4

Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). Cubesats are smaller.
Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).

* v
* t
* e

Wideband Global SATCOM satellites

Block I|

* USA-195
* USA-204
* USA-211

Block II|

* USA-233
* USA-243
* USA-244
* USA-263

Block II Follow-On|

* USA-272
* USA-275
* USA-291

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