Use by the U.S. Armed Forces

The U.S. Armed Forces maintains international networks of satellites with ground stations located in various continents. Signal latency is a major concern in satellite communications, so geographic and meteorological factors play an important role in choosing teleports. Since some of the major military activities of the U.S. army is in foreign territories, the U.S. government needs to subcontract satellite services to foreign carriers headquartered in areas with favorable climate.

 

 

The Global Positioning System (GPS)

GPS is a space-based satellite navigation system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites.

Military News

WASHINGTON, May 5, 2012. United States launched a military next-generation AEHF 2 (Advanced Extremely High Frequency 2) satellite into the orbit.The satellite was created by Lockheed Martin. It costs $ 1.7 billion, it weighs about seven tons. The service life of each satellite is 14 years. AEHF2 is a series of communications satellites operated by the United States Air Force Air Force Space Command. The spacecraft will be used to relay secure communications for the Armed Forces of the United States, the British Armed Forces, the Canadian Forces and the military of the Netherlands. The system will consist of four spacecraft in geostationary orbits, of which two have been launched.

The Aerospace Defense Forces (Russia)

The Aerospace Defense Forces (Russian Voyska Vozdushno-Kosmicheskoy Oborony or VKO) is the branch of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation responsible for air and missile defense, and the operation of Russian military satellites and the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. Formed on 1 December 2011, it replaced the Space Forces. The VKO is commanded by former Space Forces commander Lt Gen Oleg Ostapenko, who was appointed by Russian Ex-President Dmitry Medvedev.

Advanced satellite communications are an absolute necessity for military victory. The information that gets sent around the world must be kept safe, secure and protected. It can’t be intercepted by adversaries.

Questions:

1. Has a worldwide system of satellites been already created?

2. What does a worldwide system of satellites provide?

3. What is the purpose of satellites?

4. What is GPS?

5. What are the main innovations of the t U.S. Armed Forces?

6. Who commands theVKO?

 

Assignment 4. Read the sentences and answer T(True) / F(False) / DS (Doesn`t say)

1) A military satellite is used only for a military purpose. ______

2) Military satellites like the NAVSTAR GPS have less civilian users than military users. _____

3) AEHF2 is operated by the United States Air Force Space Command. _______

4) Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was a former Space Forces commander. ______

 

Assignment 5. Read the text and complete.

Advanced Extremely High Frequency

General information Answers:

Manufacturer ___________ (Lockheed Martin)

«Northrop Grumman»

Country of origin ____________ (United States)

Applications Military communications

Orbit regimes Geosynchronous

Operator US Air Force

Lifetime _________________ (14 years)

Launched 2

First launch USA-214, 2010-08-14

Second launch ______________________ (2012-05-04)

Average mass ______________________ (6,168 kg)

 

 

Assignment 6. Match.

1. cosmodrome 2. Aerospace Defence Forces 3. Global Positioning System (GPS) 4. Satellite 5. government 6. Spacecraft 7. ArmedForces

a. спутник b. спутниковая система навигации c. космодром d. Войска Воздушно-Космической Обороны e. космический корабль f. Вооруженные Силы g. правительство

 

 

Assignment 7. Crossword:

1. It is a space-based satellite navigation system.

2. Not civil.

3. The atmosphere of Earth.

4. «Вооруженные Силы» in English.

5. … is a tool or instrument used to damageor harm to living beings.

6. Spacecraft.

7. It is a synonym for Universe.

Assignment 8. Complete the text. Use pictures, protected, satellite, and soldier

A ______on the ground uses advanced satellites to urgently send _______ of a high-value target. Meanwhile, a submarine quietly lurking below the ocean's surface is transmitting confidential orders to the same _______ constellation. At the same time, a jet flying high above the clouds is relaying full motion video. The U.S. military's most important data has to be kept secured and _________.

 

 

Assignment 9. Discuss in groups:

 

1. What do you know about the satellites?

2. The role of the satellites in present-day world.

3. Being a spaceman is an interesting hard work! Would you like to be a spaceman or a pilot? Why?

 

Assignment 10. Pop- quiz question!

1. The Day of Military Space Forces in Russia. (Space Forces Day)

a) April 5 b) October 4 c) October 31

2. Flag of the Aerospace Defense Forces.

a) b) c)

3. The VKO is commanded by __________ Oleg Ostapenko _.

a) Cpl. b) Sgt. c) Lt. Gen.

 

Home assignment

Write an essay of 10-15 sentences about “Satellites in our life”.