Multiple-path Beyond Line-of-sight Communications
MUBLCOM was a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency technology-demonstration satellite designed to test low-Earth-orbit digital voice and data links beyond the reach of conventional line-of-sight radio. The spacecraft also carried optical retroreflectors that later made it a cooperative rendezvous target for NASA's DART mission.
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Identity
- Aliases
- MUBLCOM1999-026B
- Name
- Multiple-path Beyond Line-of-sight Communications
- Slug
- multiple-path-beyond-line-of-sight-communications
- Status
- completed
Details
- Astronauts
- -
- Description
- MUBLCOM was a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency technology-demonstration satellite designed to test low-Earth-orbit digital voice and data links beyond the reach of conventional line-of-sight radio. The spacecraft also carried optical retroreflectors that later made it a cooperative rendezvous target for NASA's DART mission.
- Launch Site
- Outcome
- MUBLCOM completed its original communications demonstration and remained in good operational condition years later. DART collided with it during an autonomous-rendezvous test on April 15, 2005; MUBLCOM moved into a slightly higher orbit, reset automatically, and subsequently regained operational status.
- Program
- DARPA communications technology demonstration
- Start Date
- 1999-05-18
- Vehicle Families
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- July 18, 2026 at 16:46:21 UTC
- Updated Time
- July 18, 2026 at 16:46:21 UTC
Other
- Affiliations
- -
- Space Stations
- -
- Vehicles