By Caroline Mroz
The remote, isolated Arctic gives the phrase “going dark” a whole new meaning.
Not only are parts of the region engulfed in darkness for months at a time, its perch at the top of the globe makes the Arctic — often referred to as the High North — one of the most difficult locations on Earth to deliver communications.
U.S. and allied military forces in the Northern polar region can’t afford to be disconnected. The Arctic is more strategically important than ever before, and assured communications are crucial, explained Troy Brashear, vice president, satellite missions, Northrop Grumman.
“It used to be a very barren, ice-locked area of the world, sparsely inhabited and sparsely operated in,” said Troy, a U.S. Air Force veteran who has served in the Arctic region. “As glaciers melt and sea lanes open, opportunities have been created for the U.S. and our allies to operate in the High North, but it has also allowed our enemies to do the same. The need for communications has skyrocketed.”
Northrop Grumman is supporting this need with cutting-edge technology. Launched on Aug. 11, 2024, the Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission (ASBM) — a combined effort between Space Norway, the U.S. Space Force, Northrop Grumman, Viasat and the Norwegian Armed Forces— will establish full broadband coverage above 65°N, marking a new era of connectivity for the region.
Connecting the Far Ends of the Earth
By providing reliable and secure communication, the two-satellite ASBM constellation — hosted on Northrop Grumman’s GEOStar-3 satellite bus — will deliver broad benefits to the Arctic, according to Jeremy Novosad, program director, ASBM, Northrop Grumman. Two of ASBM’s Northrop Grumman-built payloads for the Norwegian Armed Forces and Viasat expand connectivity for everything from air travel to shipping and fishing to Allied operations, including search and rescue missions.
“Connectivity is the backbone of this unique mission,” said Jeremy. “It’s a very critical capability that we are delivering.”
Alongside Space Norway’s commercial payloads is the U.S. Space Force’s Enhanced Polar Systems-Recapitalization (EPS-R) payload. Also built by Northrop Grumman, EPS-R will deliver protected, anti-jam military satellite communications coverage to U.S. forces operating in the Northern polar region and will be enabled by the Control and Planning Segment (CAPS), Northrop Grumman’s next-generation ground system.
“The U.S. military has to have a presence in the Arctic region. While they’re up there, they have to make sure there’s good communications back to the domestic command-and-control authority,” said Steve Dunlop, program manager, EPS-R CAPS Ground System, Northrop Grumman. “EPS-R delivers faster, secure communications for U.S. forces, giving more capabilities for the warfighter. That’s the advantage.”
The inclusion of EPS-R in ASBM represents a historic moment for hybrid space missions: the first time an operational U.S. military payload is hosted on an internationally operated, commercial satellite.
The EPS-R payload was isolated from the rest of the satellite, enabling the payload to catch a ride on ASBM while meeting security requirements, said Rohit Raja, who served as program director, EPS-R, Northrop Grumman. The result is a trailblazing achievement that paves the way for future hybrid military-commercial launches.
