Autonomous Nanosatellite Guardian for Evaluating Local Space (ANGELS)

[soulxtc]

Jeremy Singer at Space News reports (Yahoo! has the full text) that the Air Force Research Laboratory is “planning a small experimental satellite that would orbit in close proximity to a host spacecraft and keep tabs on their surrounding space environment” in geostationary orbit:


The Angels satellite will be launched into a geostationary orbit for an experiment that is expected to last about a year, according to the request for information. The Air Force hopes to extend the mission for another two years, according to the request for information.


Geostationary orbit is a belt of space some 36,000 kilometers above the equator that hosts most communications satellites. The Air Force chose that orbit because its distance from Earth’s surface makes it less visible and more difficult to monitor than lower orbits, [Tom] Caudill [the space surveillance technical area lead at the laboratory] said.


The Angels spacecraft would launch along with a yet-to-be-determined host satellite that it would shadow in orbit, Caudill said. The launch likely will be arranged by the Defense Department’s Space Test Program, he said.


Jeremy noticed the program when the Air Force Research Laboratory released this solicitatiton for the Autonomous Nanosatellite Guardian for Evaluating Local Space or ANGELS.


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