ACEIZE

The US Air force launched a clutch of satellites from Cape Canaveral Thursday night. The satellites are part of a DARPA funded project called Orbital Express. The clutch consists of five NextSat satellites, which have reportedly been launched to study atmospheric conditions and collect data. The sixth satellite of the clutch is the ASTRO, a repair satellite. The ASTRO satellite is testing service and refueling techniques. The ASTRO can attach to working satellites to replace defective parts or provide additional propellant for reconnaissance satellites that are providing important images.