An experimental U.S. military project to characterize the performance of two micro-satellite trailblazers operating 22,300 miles above Earth and a prototype maneuvering motor for small spacecraft began with a beautiful blastoff from Cape Canaveral Wednesday evening.

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The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Air Force and Navy have collaborated to fly this space mission to test technologies that could be incorporated in future military programs. MiTEx will prove whether the technologies -- for satellites and upper stages -- are deemed worthy or simply need more work.

According to information about MiTEx provided to Spaceflight Now by DARPA officials, the major goals of the project include:

--Develop and flight-test a new experimental upper stage

--Investigate and demonstrate advanced space technologies such as lightweight power and propulsion systems, avionics, and spacecraft structures; commercial-off-the-shelf processors; affordable, responsive fabrication/build-to-launch techniques; and single-string components

--Demonstrate a one-year lifetime for small satellites built using these new technologies and techniques

--Demonstrate the ability to insert small satellites into geostationary orbit

--Gain experience in the operations and determine the potential utility of small satellites for future Defense Department missions in a geostationary orbit

The new upper stage burns monomethylhydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide. It is equipped with a 90-pound-force engine as well as a half-dozen five-pound-force engines.

Specific technologies being tested on the stage include:

--Platinum/rhodium bi-propellant attitude control thrusters

--High-performance coated columbium delta-V thruster

--Commercial off-the-shelf manual valve tested to aerospace standards

--Light-weight Inconel-718 composite overwrap pressure vessels

--Lightweight titanium propellant tanks with internal propellant management devices

--Triple junction solar cells

--Lithium-ion batteries

--A low-cost/high-performance star tracker...