▁a ▁small ▁delay ▁to ▁remove ▁off ▁shore ▁bo aters ▁from ▁the ▁ex clusion ▁area . ▁ ▁Mission ▁ ▁T ac S at - 3 ▁achieved ▁a ▁H SI ▁ground ▁resolution ▁of ▁ 4 ▁meters , ▁which ▁enabled ▁it ▁to ▁detect ▁and ▁identify ▁tact ical ▁targets . ▁After ▁a ▁successful ▁completion ▁of ▁a ▁one - year ▁experimental ▁phase , ▁and ▁the ▁ac quisition ▁of ▁more ▁than ▁ 2 1 0 0 ▁images , ▁T ac S at - 3 ▁was ▁handed ▁over ▁to ▁the ▁Air ▁Force ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁as ▁a ▁full - time ▁oper ational ▁asset . ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁first ▁hyp ers pect ral ▁satellite ▁with ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁provide ▁reconna issance ▁within ▁ 1 0 ▁minutes ▁after ▁passing ▁overhead . ▁Field ▁command ers ▁using ▁tact ical ▁radio ▁equipment , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁AN / P RC - 1 1 7 F ▁Mult ib and ▁Man pack ▁Radio , ▁can ▁directly ▁communicate ▁with ▁the ▁satellite ▁in ▁the ▁ult ra ▁high ▁frequency ▁band . ▁T ac S at - 3 / AR TE M IS ▁observations ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Mall ▁and ▁the ▁K ila ue a ▁Vol cano ▁to ▁support ▁technical ▁validation ▁of ▁the ▁sensor ▁have ▁been ▁released ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁The ▁released ▁images ▁compr ise ▁three ▁of ▁the ▁more ▁than ▁ 4 0 0 ▁spectral ▁bands . ▁ ▁T ac S at - 3 ▁completed ▁operations ▁on ▁ 1 5 ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁On ▁ 3 0 ▁April ▁