SpaceX Launches Two ASBM Satellites Filled With Military Instruments

SpaceX launched the ASBM satellite (photo: X @SpaceX)

JAKARTA SpaceX, a space company owned by Elon Musk, launched Space Norway's Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission (ASBM) mission. The satellite was launched on Monday, August 9 at 09.02 WIB. Space Norway is a state-owned company that provides satellite communication services for the government, defense, and commercial. The ASBM is specifically designed to provide broadband communication services at the North Pole and high latitude areas. SpaceX was only selected as a launch service provider, while that makes ASBM a Northrop Grumman. There are two ASBM satellites launched and both carry several important payloads. There is an Enhanced Polar System-Recapitalization (ESP-R) instrument belonging to the US military to support secure communications, X-band payload belonging to the Norwegian Armed Forces, Global Xpress Ka-band for commercial satellite operator Viasat, and Norwegian Radiation Monitor.

After the launch, SpaceX explained that the ASBM-1 and ASBM-2 satellites were placed into the elliptical transfer orbit of Molniya, the first type of orbit for SpaceX in addition to the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and the Geostationary Orbit (GEO). The ASBM was deliberately placed in a transfer orbit. Reporting from Spacenews, Deputy President of the Northrop Grumman Satellite Mission Troy Brashear said that, "(This orbit was chosen to) fulfill the huge demand in areas that traditional GEO satellites cannot serve. Strong communication is urgently needed at this time, particularly in the military field. Northrop Grumman, which developed the ASBM satellite, believes that this orbital region can provide the same communication network as the one in GEO.