US Military Launches New Missile Defense Satellite
Baku-APA. The United States launched on Tuesday a military satellite designed for infrared detection of ballistic missile launches, APA reports quoting the US media.
GEO-2 is the second satellite in the Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS), a US Air Force program developed to provide the United States with advance warning of potential nuclear attacks.
An Atlas V rocket lifted off at 16:21 EST (21:21 GMT) from Cape Canaveral space center in Florida, according to nasaspaceflight.com internet portal.
The satellite will be placed into a classified position on a geostationary orbit about 22,300 miles (36,000 km) above the Earth.
The first SBIRS GEO series satellite was orbited in 2011. The US Air Force hopes to have a total of six SBIRS satellites in orbit by 2016, the Denver Post reported on Tuesday.
"Our ability to provide strategic missile warning is critical to the nation's survival," Gen. William Shelton, Commander of Air Force Space Command, earlier said.
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