{
  "id": "wgs",
  "name": "Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS)",
  "aliases": [
    "WGS",
    "Wideband Gapfiller"
  ],
  "domain": "space",
  "country": "USA",
  "category": "Military communications satellite constellation",
  "status": "in-service",
  "fielded": 2008,
  "operators": [
    "USA",
    "AUS",
    "CAN",
    "DNK",
    "LUX",
    "NLD",
    "NZL"
  ],
  "summary": "The U.S. military's highest-capacity communications satellites, providing X- and Ka-band service worldwide; designed to replace DSCS.",
  "specs": [
    {
      "k": "mission",
      "v": "Wideband X-band and two-way Ka-band SATCOM; augments Global Broadcast Service",
      "src": [
        "asf-wgs-satellite"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "orbit_regime",
      "v": "GEO",
      "src": [
        "asf-wgs-satellite"
      ],
      "conf": "high"
    },
    {
      "k": "sats_count",
      "v": 10,
      "src": [
        "asf-wgs-satellite"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "note": "SV-1 to SV-10, launched 2007–2019"
    },
    {
      "k": "first_launch",
      "v": 2007,
      "src": [
        "asf-wgs-satellite"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "design_life_yr",
      "v": 14,
      "src": [
        "asf-wgs-satellite"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "mass_kg",
      "v": 5897,
      "src": [
        "asf-wgs-satellite"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "note": "13,000 lb at launch"
    },
    {
      "k": "power_w",
      "v": 9934,
      "src": [
        "asf-wgs-satellite"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "contractor",
      "v": "Boeing (702 bus)",
      "src": [
        "asf-wgs-satellite"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "operator_org",
      "v": "USSF Mission Delta 8, 4th Space Operations Squadron, Schriever SFB",
      "src": [
        "asf-wgs-satellite"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "program",
      "v": "WGS-11+ to launch on Vulcan with a Protected Tactical SATCOM payload; WGS-12 funded; Australia, Canada, Denmark, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand partners; Poland and Japan joined in 2024",
      "src": [
        "asf-wgs-satellite",
        "asf-wgs-archive"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "on_orbit",
      "v": 10,
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Payloads with current element sets in the public catalog, active or not."
    },
    {
      "k": "active_sats",
      "v": 10,
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "note": "Count in the CelesTrak active satellites list, which estimates operational status."
    },
    {
      "k": "perigee_km",
      "v": [
        35783,
        35787
      ],
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Active satellites per CelesTrak, element epoch about 2026-11-08."
    },
    {
      "k": "apogee_km",
      "v": [
        35787,
        35792
      ],
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Active satellites per CelesTrak, element epoch about 2026-11-08."
    },
    {
      "k": "period_min",
      "v": [
        1436.1,
        1436.2
      ],
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Active satellites per CelesTrak, element epoch about 2026-11-08."
    },
    {
      "k": "inclination_deg",
      "v": [
        0.01,
        0.28
      ],
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Active satellites per CelesTrak, element epoch about 2026-11-08."
    }
  ],
  "payloads": [],
  "variants": [],
  "art": "satellite",
  "image": {
    "file": "wgs.jpg",
    "thumb": "wgs-thumb.jpg",
    "credit": "Michael Pierson, U.S. Air Force / DVIDS",
    "license": "Public domain",
    "url": "https://www.dvidshub.net/image/3194626",
    "title": "WGS Artist's Rendition High Res",
    "source": "DVIDS",
    "dvids_id": 3194626,
    "unit": "Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs – U.S. Space Force"
  },
  "verified": null,
  "changelog": [
    {
      "date": "2026-11-08",
      "change": "Entry created from cited open sources"
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-11-08",
      "change": "Orbital elements from CelesTrak GP data (epoch about 2026-11-08): 10 catalogued, 10 active."
    }
  ],
  "satellites": [
    {
      "name": "WGS F1 (USA 195)",
      "norad": 32258,
      "cospar": "2007-046A",
      "perigee_km": 35783,
      "apogee_km": 35791,
      "inclination_deg": 0.06,
      "period_min": 1436.1,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "US",
      "launch": "2007-10-11"
    },
    {
      "name": "WGS F2 (USA 204)",
      "norad": 34713,
      "cospar": "2009-017A",
      "perigee_km": 35786,
      "apogee_km": 35787,
      "inclination_deg": 0.02,
      "period_min": 1436.1,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "US",
      "launch": "2009-04-04"
    },
    {
      "name": "WGS F3 (USA 211)",
      "norad": 36108,
      "cospar": "2009-068A",
      "perigee_km": 35787,
      "apogee_km": 35788,
      "inclination_deg": 0.28,
      "period_min": 1436.1,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "US",
      "launch": "2009-12-06"
    },
    {
      "name": "WGS F4 (USA 233)",
      "norad": 38070,
      "cospar": "2012-003A",
      "perigee_km": 35783,
      "apogee_km": 35792,
      "inclination_deg": 0.01,
      "period_min": 1436.2,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "US",
      "launch": "2012-01-20"
    },
    {
      "name": "WGS F5 (USA 243)",
      "norad": 39168,
      "cospar": "2013-024A",
      "perigee_km": 35786,
      "apogee_km": 35788,
      "inclination_deg": 0.02,
      "period_min": 1436.1,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "US",
      "launch": "2013-05-25"
    },
    {
      "name": "WGS F6 (USA 244)",
      "norad": 39222,
      "cospar": "2013-041A",
      "perigee_km": 35786,
      "apogee_km": 35788,
      "inclination_deg": 0.02,
      "period_min": 1436.1,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "US",
      "launch": "2013-08-08"
    },
    {
      "name": "WGS F7 (USA 263)",
      "norad": 40746,
      "cospar": "2015-036A",
      "perigee_km": 35786,
      "apogee_km": 35787,
      "inclination_deg": 0.01,
      "period_min": 1436.1,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "US",
      "launch": "2015-07-24"
    },
    {
      "name": "WGS F8 (USA 272)",
      "norad": 41879,
      "cospar": "2016-075A",
      "perigee_km": 35784,
      "apogee_km": 35788,
      "inclination_deg": 0.02,
      "period_min": 1436.1,
      "epoch": "2026-11-07",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "US",
      "launch": "2016-12-07"
    },
    {
      "name": "WGS F9 (USA 275)",
      "norad": 42075,
      "cospar": "2017-016A",
      "perigee_km": 35786,
      "apogee_km": 35788,
      "inclination_deg": 0.02,
      "period_min": 1436.1,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "US",
      "launch": "2017-03-19"
    },
    {
      "name": "WGS 10 (USA 291)",
      "norad": 44071,
      "cospar": "2019-014A",
      "perigee_km": 35786,
      "apogee_km": 35788,
      "inclination_deg": 0.02,
      "period_min": 1436.1,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "US",
      "launch": "2019-03-16"
    }
  ],
  "url": "https://www.defensepedia.com/systems/wgs.html",
  "sources": {
    "asf-wgs-satellite": {
      "title": "Wideband Global SATCOM (weapons and platforms entry)",
      "publisher": "Air & Space Forces Magazine",
      "url": "https://www.airandspaceforces.com/weapons/wgs-satellite/",
      "published": null,
      "tier": 3,
      "checked": "2026-11-08"
    },
    "asf-wgs-archive": {
      "title": "WGS (archive entry)",
      "publisher": "Air & Space Forces Magazine",
      "url": "https://www.airandspaceforces.com/weapons-platforms/wgs/",
      "published": null,
      "tier": 3,
      "checked": "2026-11-08"
    },
    "celestrak-gp": {
      "title": "NORAD GP element sets (current data)",
      "publisher": "CelesTrak (data from the U.S. Space Force 18th/19th Space Defense Squadron catalog)",
      "url": "https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/",
      "published": "2026-11-08",
      "tier": 1,
      "checked": "2026-11-08"
    }
  }
}