Pentagon begins deploying new satellite network to link sensors with shooters
Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav The first 21 satellites in a constellation that could become a cornerstone for the Pentagon’s Golden Dome missile defense shield successfully launched from California Wednesday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The Falcon 9 took off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, at 7:12 am PDT (10:12 am EDT; 14:12 UTC) and headed south over the Pacific Ocean, heading for an orbit over the poles before releasing the 21 military-owned satellites to begin several weeks of activations and checkouts. These 21 satellites will boost themselves to a final orbit at an altitude of roughly 600 miles (1,000…
