Atlas Successfully Launches Classified NRO Satellite

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Atlas Successfully Launches Classified NRO Satellite

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An Atlas IIAS successfully launched a classified satellite from Cape Canaveral Air Station, pad LC 36B at 0232 UTC (7:32 p.m. PDT, October 10) on October 11. Publicly released information indicates the Atlas will deliver the spacecraft into a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) with a perigee of 274 km (147.9 nmi), an apogee of 37,496 km (20,246.4 nmi), with an inclination to the equator of 26.5 degrees. The spacecraft will later use its onboard kick motor to achieve a circular geostationary orbit. Its specific orbital slot remains classified. The satellite launch was scheduled months before the September 11 terrorist attack. The total cost of the mission is reported to be US$500 million with most of that cost being for the NRO satellite.

The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) satellite was built by Boeing. The spacecraft is thought to be a telecommunication relay satellite which will be positioned in geostationary orbit, though some analysts believe the cargo may be a signals intelligence satellite capable of eavesdropping on communication transmissions from orbit. A relay satellite in a geostationary location allows lower altitude imaging spacecraft to transmit data up to the satellite, which then relays the signals to distant ground stations for transmission to the U.S. Department of Defense or Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The new spacecraft will support the overall U. S. ability to quickly provide intelligence data to ground based analysts.

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October 11, 2001