MUBLCOM

The Multiple Paths, Beyond-Line-of-Sight Communications (MUBLCOM) satellite (COSPAR 1999-026B, SATCAT 25736), built for the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, was launched in May 1999 by a Pegasus. Its mission was to demonstrate a capability to provide space-based digital voice and data communications to combat forces or commercial users that were previously considered out of range of standard radio communications systems.

MUBLCOM

DART (bottom) approaching the MUBLCOM satellite (top)
Mission type	Technology Demonstrator
Operator	DARPA
COSPAR ID	1999-026B
SATCAT no.	25736
Spacecraft properties
Launch mass	100 kilograms (220 lb)
Dry mass	50 kilograms (110 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	May 18, 1999 (1999-05-18)
Rocket	Pegasus
Launch site	Vandenberg
Contractor	Orbital
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Low Earth
Eccentricity	0.000384
Perigee altitude	726 kilometers (451 mi)
Apogee altitude	732 kilometers (455 mi)
Inclination	97.7 degrees
Period	99.4 minutes

On April 15, 2005, the Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology (DART) spacecraft collided with the MUBLCOM satellite while attempting to rendezvous with it.

References

• http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/148072main_DART_mishap_overview.pdf
• http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/payload/missions/terriers/ Archived 2007-12-09 at the Wayback Machine

• Spaceflight portal