Travis plays role in delivering satellite to Cape Canaveral

  • Published
  • By Nick DeCicco
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — Members of the 22nd Airlift Squadron at Travis Air Force Base, California, participated in the delivery of a Geosynchronous Earth Orbit satellite Flight-4 to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, Oct. 31.

 Capt. Patterson Hill, 22nd AS pilot and aircraft commander, said the physical sensitivity of the cargo necessitated a smooth takeoff and landing for the Travis C-5M Super Galaxy.

 “Contrary to popular belief, a good landing is normally very firm in order to expedite the braking process and allow the airplane to stop in a shorter distance,” said Hill. “On this mission, however, a firm landing might have resulted in billions of dollars' worth of damage and delays.”

 Hill said prior to the flight, which departed from Moffett Field near the Lockheed Martin satellite integration facility in Sunnyvale, California, the Travis crews prepared for the landing by flying a training flight with approximately 80 tons of cargo and extra fuel on board to simulate the weight of the satellite.

 The C-5 crew from the 22nd AS ensured the satellite was transported safely and according to the time-sensitive schedule. The security support provided by the California Air National Guard 129th Rescue Wing was essential to the success of the mission.

 The mission was part of the the U.S. Air Force’s Space Based Infrared System program. The SBIRS constellation is designed to replace the legacy Defense Support Program satellite constellation. SBIRS will continue to provide significantly enhanced capabilities to support missile warning, missile defenses, battlespace awareness and technical intelligence missions.

 “The delivery, launch and successful operation of GEO Flight-4 will mark the fulfillment of the original SBIRS baseline constellation and reaffirm our commitment to provide our country, warfighters and senior leaders with timely, reliable and accurate missile warning and infrared surveillance information,” said Lt. Gen. John Thompson, SMC commander and Air Force program executive officer for space.

 The delivery of GEO Flight-4 sets the path for final checkout of the space vehicle before launch. The satellite will be processed at the Payload Processing Facility located at Cape Canaveral AFS, Florida. 

 A combined government and contractor team is executing the final ground activities including a Launch Base Confidence Test to verify satellite integrity after shipment, an intersegment test to verify communication compatibility from the satellite to the on-orbit operations center and the final battery reconditioning for launch. Following these activities, the satellite will be fueled and prepared for integration with the Atlas V rocket.

 “Finalizing the preparations for the fourth launch of a SBIRS GEO satellite is a big deal,” said Col. Dennis Bythewood, Remote Sensing Systems Directorate director. “The entire team understands how significant this is and we’re ready to make it happen.”

 The GEO Flight-4 satellite is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral in January 2018. 

 “The safety of the SBIRS satellite was entrusted to the very best, and we are appreciative of the transport and security services provided by the entire government and contractor team,” said Thompson.

 In addition to Hill, the Travis crews included Capt. Matthew Harmon, aircraft commander; Tech. Sgt. Ray Montanino and Tech. Sgt. Jose Gonzalez, flight engineers; Tech. Sgt. Brandon Sphar and  Staff Sgt. Alex Griego, crew chiefs; and Master Sgt. John Zelonis, Master Sgt. John Glisson, Tech. Sgt. Muggy Blair, Staff Sgt. Oliver Broadbent, Senior Airman Cassandra Hickman and Senior Airman Michael Watson, loadmasters.

 Space and Missile Systems Center contributed to this report.