The U.S. Air Force’s first Advanced Extremely High Frequency secure communications satellite has failed to reached its desired orbit after being launched into space on Aug. 14.
The satellite’s Liquid Apogee Engine was supposed to fire three times to boost it out of low orbit. However the engine automatically shut down when ground controllers fired it for the first time on Aug. 15. Another attempt on Aug. 17 ended with the same result.
The USAF and satellite-builder Lockheed Martin has come up with a plan to savage the satellite using its low-thrust hydrazine motors to push it to a higher orbit.