[Satellite TODAY 08-06-10] Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. has shipped the U.S. Air Force’s STPSat-2 satellite to the Kodiak Launch Complex in Alaska for its scheduled launch on an Orbital Sciences Minotaur 4 rocket this fall, the manufacturer announced Aug. 5.
    STPSat-2’s mission is to support the military’s operationally responsive space strategy to ensure U.S. space superiority. The satellite, the first spacecraft for the U.S. Department of Defense Space Test Program Standard Interface Vehicle program, provides a standard interface compatible for multiple launch vehicles that support a variety of experimental and risk-reduction payloads at different low-Earth orbits.
    “STPSat-2 is putting responsive space into practice for the U.S. Air Force," Ball Aerospace President David Taylor said in a statement.
    Ball is continuing work on a second STP-SIV, STPSat-3 — an identical spacecraft that will host four experimental military payloads.