The U.S. Air Force, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and United Launch Alliance(ULA) team have successfully moved one step closer to the launching of the 19th Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) block 5D weather satellite. On March 14, engineers completed spacecraft encapsulation within the launch fairing at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
The DMSP-19 encapsulation within the Atlas V launch vehicle payload fairing represents an important milestone for the DMSP-19 launch campaign. This event marks the completion of spacecraft integration, functional testing and compatibility checks with the Air Force Satellite Control Network (AFSCN).
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