A cubesat designed to help the U.S. Army demonstrate the collection of data from overhead satellites to support battlefield surveillance and combat operations will fly aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron vehicle in mid-March, SpaceNews reported Monday.
The Gunsmoke-J spacecraft is one of the seven satellites that will take off from New Zealand as part of the 19th launch mission of the Electron rocket.
Lira Frye, a spokeswoman for Army Space and Missile Defense Command, said the small satellite "will demonstrate an ability to deliver situational awareness down to the lowest tactical level possible.”
In October, TriSept received a contract from Army Space and Missile Defense Command to integrate the Gunsmoke-J cubesat with the dispenser that will field the satellite into orbit.
