BackForward Satellite Programme: Tactical Satellite 

Programme details
Programme description
  • Series of four satellites for technological development.
  • USA programme: DoD responsible of development and operations.  Main units: OFT (Office of Force Transformation) and NRL (Naval Research Laboratory).
  • Platforms actively stabilised over 3 axes.
  • Design lifetime: 1 year.
  • Various orbits of various inclinations, circular or elliptical, low or high altitude.
  • The only flight unit with a payload of meteorological interest (a radio occultation sounder) is TacSat-2, in low-altitude, medium-inclination, drifting orbit.
  • See detailed description at https://directory.eoportal.org/missions/tacsat-2.
Data circulation
  • Data downlinked to DoD sites.  Those of meteorological interest made available to NOAA.
Agencies DoD
Programme lifetime 2006 - 2007
Associated satellites and instruments

Note: red tag => no longer operational , green tag => operational , blue tag => planned