This report describes the results from the first series of test flights of the Space-Based Telemetry And Range Safety (STARS) project flown on an F-15B at Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) during June and July 2003. STARS is a multicenter National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) proof-of-concept project to determine if operational costs can be reduced and operational flexibility increased by using a space-based communications system to relay telemetry from reusable launch vehicles to the ground and flight termination signals from the ground to a vehicle while providing the necessary reliability and coverage. STARS can also be applied to expendable launch vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles.
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