The launch of Tomographic Experiment using Radiative Recombinative Ionospheric EUV and Radio Sources (TERRIERS)/Multiple Path Beyond Line of Sight Communications (MUBLCOM) payload for NASA, DARPA and CECOM. The TERRIERS was designed and built by Boston University for flight on a Pegasus rocket (Flight F-27) from Vandenberg Air Force Base.
Launch commentary began 5/17/99 at 9:00 p.m. PDT and the L-1011 aircraft took off from VAFB at 9:12 p.m. PDT. The launch window extended from 10:05:47 to 10:14:26 p.m. PDT with the drop from the L-1011 aircraft targeted to occur at 10:10 p.m. PDT (1:10 a.m. EDT May 18, 1999, 5:10 a.m. GMT). The drop site was about 60 miles off of the coast of California at an altitude of 39,000 ft. Pegasus switched to internal battery power at 9:57 p.m. PDT and launched at 10:10 a.m. PDT. Successful orbit confirmed 10:18 p.m. PDT and TERRIERS separated on schedule at 10:20 p.m. PDT.
TERRIERS and MUBLCOM will be placed in a 550 km circular / 775 kilometer circular orbit with an inclination of 97.8 degrees. TERRIERS will survey the upper atmosphere to allow scientists to better predict space weather conditions that could disrupt communications systems on Earth. MUBLCOM will demonstrate a new, unique capability to provide space-based digital voice and data communications to combat forces or commercial users that were previously considered out of range of standard radio communications systems.
