Air Force officials announce milestone Atlas V launch

by Amaani Lyle, American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON -- As part of the Defense Department's ongoing efforts to maintain assured, affordable access to space through 2030, the Atlas V rocket successfully lifted off from Space Launch Complex-41 at Florida's Cape Canaveral on June 20, Air Force officials said.

"This is an exciting time for the U.S. space launch community," said Scott Correll, the program's executive officer. "From today's successful launch of the 50th Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle to the recent success of Space X's support to NASA with their Falcon 9, it's clear the commercial space transportation industry is making notable strides."

The EELV program replaced the existing fleet of launch systems with two families of launch vehicles -- the Boeing Delta IV and Lockheed Martin Atlas V -- built and operated by the DOD's prime contractor, United Launch Alliance, Correll said.

An official from the Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., explained that the Atlas V is a critical part of a spectrum of government missions.

"Atlas V launches space-based infrared systems, global positioning systems, the defense meteorological satellite program and the advanced extremely high frequency system satellites," said Col. Bob Hodgkiss, the director of the launch systems directorate. "I'm pleased to report that this year we have also already launched the wideband global sat-com IV aboard a Delta IV, and the Navy's mobile user objective system satellite 1 aboard Atlas V."

Because of considerable program costs, which can run as high as several billion dollars per launch, quality assurance and the development of a competitive market are paramount, Air Force officials said.

"Since the Air Force must by law self-indemnify, we do a very rigorous evaluation of the physical, electrical and radio frequency interfaces between the rocket, the satellite and the ground systems," Hodgkiss said of the process to determine flight readiness. "My team is the government's insurance policy, so we need to be sure we have the highest probability of success in one of the riskiest activities the Air Force does."

On the business side of the program, Hodgkiss said, the program's primary users, the Air Force, NASA and the National Reconnaissance Office, are developing strategies to infuse competition into space launch as a cost reduction measure.

"We are balancing the commitment we will make to ULA with the potential to reintroduce competition to the program when one or more commercial launch companies have demonstrated to the Air Force they are reliable launch providers," the colonel said.

Correll asserts that certifying new entrants will potentially enable competition, thereby lowering costs and creating innovation in government payloads such as communications, navigation, weather satellites, and science and national security missions.

"The framework offers multiple paths to on-ramp potential new entrants and part of this strategy requires an entrant to demonstrate at least one launch of a vehicle configured as an EELV-class national security space launch," he said.

ULA's next launch and the NRO's next mission, the Delta IV NROL-15, is scheduled for June 28.

45th Space Wing officials launch satellite atop Delta IV

(Photo courtesy of ULA)

Blog Editor Note: The NROL-27 payload is believed to be a Satellite Data System communications satellite that is headed for geostationary orbit.

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. (AFNS) -- Members from the 45th Space Wing successfully launched a United Launch Alliance-built Delta IV Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle here March 13 carrying a classified National Reconnaissance Office satellite.

"The outstanding ULA, NRO and Air Force partnership made yet another successful mission," said Lt. Col. William Heuck, the 5th Space Launch Squadron commander.

This is the fifth in a series of six launches scheduled during the NRO 50th anniversary year in 2011.

"I am extremely proud of the entire government and contractor team who supported this launch," said Col. Alan Davis, the director of the Office of Space Launch in the National Reconnaissance Office. We have had an amazing five successful launches in the past 12 months, two in 2010 and three this year. I am looking forward to the launch of NROL-34 in April, which will conclude our most aggressive launch schedule in over two decades.

The Delta IV is one of two EELV's used by the Air Force. The wing launched the other EELV, an Atlas V, March 5.

"This mission helps ensure that crucial NRO resources will continue to strengthen our national defense," said Col James Ross, the 45th Space Wing vice commander. "The teamwork used to make this launch a success is one example of how the 45th (Space Wing) delivers assured space launch, range and combat capabilities for the nation."

Courtesy of AGI's Launch Notification e-mails. AGI's E-mails are sent after every launch and include key spacecraft information such as: the date, time, launch site, launcher, international number, name, and owner. Get more information on thousands of satellites and other vehicles by viewing STK models, animations, and our encyclopedic "Spacecraft Digest" database at www.agi.com/scdigest.

New Launch: 2011 March 11, 2338 UTC
Site: Air Force Eastern Test Range, Florida, USA
Launcher: Delta IV
International Designator(s): 2011-011A

SSC Name Owner
37377 USA 227
(NROL-27) US

"A new U.S. spy satellite soared into the sunset sky above Florida today (March 11) on a clandestine mission to preserve national security.

"The satellite launched into space atop an unmanned Delta 4 rocket that lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 6:38 p.m. EST (2338 GMT). High-altitude winds above the Air Force station's Launch Complex 37 delayed the satellite's launch by nearly a half hour, but cleared in time for a dazzling twilight blastoff.

"Rocket launch provider United Launch Alliance orchestrated the satellite's trip to orbit for the National Reconnaissance Office. The Chantilly, Va.-based NRO is responsible for the design, construction and operation of the country's network of intelligence-gathering spy satellites."

"The new satellite is part of the military's national defense program. Due to the classified nature of the mission, which is formally known as NROL-27, very few additional details about the launch or the satellite's purpose are publicly released. The mission went into a media blackout shortly after its successful liftoff."

Source: Space.com, "New U.S. Spy Satellite Blasts Off On Secret Mission"

NRO pathfinder satellite scheduled to launch Saturday

The Minotaur rocket's lower assembly, composed of retired Minuteman missile stages, is stacked on the launch pad. Credit: U.S. Air Force

The U.S. military plans to launch a Minotaur rocket Saturday with a secret technology research mission for the National Reconnaissance Office, the government agency that oversees the country's spy satellites.

The solid-fueled Orbital Sciences Corp. Minotaur 1 launcher is scheduled to lift off some time Saturday from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The launch window is a secret for now, but the Air Force plans to announce a time for the blastoff sometime this evening.

The NRO is keeping quiet on the mission's specifics, but the agency says it is part of a science and technology development effort to lay the groundwork for future systems.

The satellite is known as RPP, which stands for the Rapid Pathfinder Program. The launch is codenamed NROL-66 in the spy agency's rocket acquisition naming system.

The Minotaur rocket will travel south from the California coast, according to a notice to pilots released Wednesday. Launches flying south from Vandenberg usually deploy payloads in polar orbits used by Earth observation satellites.

The 62-foot-tall rocket will launch from Space Launch Complex 8 in the southern part of Vandenberg.

Full article on this launch on the Spaceflight website at
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/minotaur/nrol66/110202launchpreps/

For my west coast readers try monitoring the following UHF aero freqs during the launch:

225.0750 225.6500 229.5500 231.4000 239.1250 251.9000 256.0000 266.0000 281.8000 284.1000 308.9000 319.6000 324.6500 325.1000 327.4000 336.0000 337.6000 349.1000 349.3000 351.3000 354.3000 375.4000 375.5000 378.0500 384.8500 386.6000 386.6000 MHz (AM mode)

On the LMR side of things the following repeater outputs (NFM mode): 386.2875 (reportedly used for count down net) 386.3000 386.5000 MHz

Of course there are many more freqs including the Vandenberg Trunk Radio System, but these are some new freqs I have uncovered and could use some feedback on these freqs.

NRO Shuttle Launched Stealth Geostationary Satellite Revealed

Ted Molczan recently completed research into the identity of an unknown GEO objects, 2000-653A /90007 - discovered by Ed Cannon in 1998. Ted concluded that it is a highly classified U.S. satellite called Prowler. The abstract and URL of the report on his findings follow.

Ted wrote on the SESSAT-L newsgroup: "Space Shuttle mission STS 38 is officially acknowledged to have deployed only a single payload, which is known to be a geosynchronous communications satellite, operated by the National Reconnaissance Office. It has since leaked out that STS 38 deployed a second payload: an optically
stealthy, geosynchronous satellite inspector, named Prowler.

"In 1998, hobbyists discovered a bright unknown GEO object, with optical and orbital characteristics of a satellite, which they call 2000-653A / 90007. By early 2010, independent GEO satellite observation networks had accounted for every single GEO satellite acknowledged to have been launched, yet 2000-653A remained unidentified. Analysis of its optical and orbital characteristics, and other relevant facts, reveals great consistency with the emerging Prowler story, resulting in a strong circumstantial case that 2000-653A is Prowler."

You can read Ted's complete report at http://satobs.org/seesat_ref/STS_38/Unknown_GEO_Object_2000-653A_-_90007_Identified_as_Prowler.pdf

Delta IV Launch

The first Delta IV Heavy Lift Vehicle launched from Vandenberg AFB, CA, Thursday.



An additional AP report and local television video are available at
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/01/20/rocket-with-secret-payload-largest-ever-launched-on-west-coast/

NROL-32 Pre-Launch Search Elements

Our good friends on the SEESAT-L newsgroup and, in particular Ted Molczan, posted the following to the newsgroup at 10:33 am EST this date. Thanks Ted for sharing this with the rest of us.

NROL-32 is scheduled for launch on a Delta IV-Heavy, from Cape Canaveral, on 2010 Nov 18, at 23:10 UTC, the opening of a launch window of several hours duration.

I believe the payload is the fifth in the series of what we call Mentor spacecraft, aka Advanced Orion, which gather signals intelligence from inclined geosynchronous orbits. They are among the largest satellites ever deployed, with a main antenna generally believed to span ~100 m.

I offer the following search elements, which should be considered to be very approximate. They are based on launch at 23:10 UTC.

1. Launch and GTO

The LEO and GTO orbits are the same as the ones I posted prior to NROL-26, rotated to the start of the launch window of NROL-32. Mission elapsed times are approximate.

LEO park T+00:12:48 to T+00:20:30 259 X 272 km
1 78901U 10322.98275464 .00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 01
2 78901 27.2800 223.3769 0010000 183.0000 359.3500 16.05000000 08

GTO T+00:28:30 to T+05:24:30 278 X 36398 km
1 78902U 10323.19115508 .00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 08
2 78902 27.2800 223.2969 7307000 182.9000 167.5000 2.23480000 05

2. GEO Insertion

The ~3 min burn to insert into GEO will occur about 5h24m after launch, near the first ascending node and apogee of the GTO, near 96 E. I believe that the payload's initial inclination will be between 5 and 7 deg, and have adopted 6 deg as my guess. The 78903 elset is derived from that of Mentor 4, which initially drifted westward, at nearly 0.5 deg/d.

Payload GEO - westward drift 35705 X 35943 km
1 78903U 10323.19652778 .00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 04
2 78903 6.0000 222.9192 0028124 186.2394 175.8683 1.00142488 08

In the event that the payload drifts eastward at the same rate, its orbit could be something like this:

Payload GEO - eastward drift 35557 X 35944 km
1 78904U 10323.19652779 .00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 06
2 78904 6.0000 222.9192 0046000 186.2394 175.8683 1.00405000 04

3. CCAM and Propellant Dump

About 10 min after the GEO insertion manoeuvre, the now separated 2nd stage will perform the CCAM (contamination and collision avoidance manoeuvre), followed shortly by the propellant dump, resulting in approximately the following orbit, which is derived from that of NROL-26.

Delta IV 5 m 2nd stage 35940 X 38084 km
1 78905U 10323.22430556 .00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 08
2 78905 6.0000 219.6655 0247122 13.9414 1.8017 0.96057559 04

Since the inclination change at GEO insertion would be less than that of NROL-26, there may be additional propellant to dispose of, which could result in some combination of lower RAAN and greater apogee, which I have not attempted to estimate.

4. Visibility Prospects

The launch phase will be an entirely Eastern Hemisphere show, but there won't be much to see, due to daylight. Depending on the time of launch, the GTO may be briefly visible from South Africa, beginning about half an hour after launch.

GEO insertion will occur ~36000 km over the equator near 96 E, but it will be day-time over that hemisphere, so I doubt anyone will see the rocket burns or cloud formed by the propellant dump, but I will leave it to prospective observers in adjacent areas to evaluate potential visibility, bearing in mind that the launch could occur up to several hours later than the launch time used as the basis
for the above elements.

On the nights following the launch, the payload and its upper stage may be found near the above orbits. I do not know the payload's destination, but would not be surprised if it heads east, to replace Mentor 1 (95022A / 23567), located at 127 E (as of the latest elements, on 2010 Jan 01). In that case, it may be near the 78904 orbit, visible from Asia and Australia. If it heads west, the 78903 orbit puts it initially within range of Asia and Australia, and South Africa by the second
week of December.

Mentor is by far the brightest satellite in GEO, normally reaching magnitude 8 - without benefit of flaring due to favourable sun angle. The brightness of Mentor was discussed here recently:

http://satobs.org/seesat/Oct-2010/0157.html

http://satobs.org/seesat/Oct-2010/0158.html

The upper stage should drift within range of Eastern Europe and South Africa by the night following launch, and within range of Western Europe a couple of nights after that. It will reach mag 10-11, when well placed for observation.

Happy hunting!
Ted Molczan

The first AEHF & Sbirs satellites will launch around July 30 and in early 2011

Amy Butler wrote the story below on the AWST website:

The U.S. military and intelligence community launch manifest is ramping up to a fast pace to deploy several first-of-fleet models for communications, missile warning and navigation.

The first Boeing GPS IIF, which will deploy a new safety-of-life civil signal, is slated for launch May 21, and the second is expected around Nov. 18.

The first and only Space-Based Space Surveillance satellite, made by a Boeing/Ball Aerospace team, will launch in July from a Minotaur IV from Vandenberg AFB, Calif. SBSS is the first satellite designed to surveil spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit from low Earth orbit, and it is needed to fill a gap in space situational awareness data.

The first Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) and Space-Based Infrared System (Sbirs) satellites, both made by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, will launch around July 30 and in early 2011, respectively.

As the Pentagon prepares for these seminal launches, The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) also is preparing for the “most aggressive launch schedule that this organization has undertaken in the last 25 years,” said U.S. Air Force Gen. (ret.) Bruce Carlson, NRO director, during a speech at last month’s National Space Symposium. He says that several “very large, very critical” satellites are awaiting launch in the next 12-18 months for the NRO. “We simply have to get them off,” he said, underscoring how urgently they are needed. Carlson also expressed concern for the industrial base, and says he plans to boost he amount of science and technology spending coming from NRO.

You can read the entire story at
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=space&id=news/asd/2010/05/07/02.xml

NROL Launch 49 - Better the devil you know…

Like previous patches for classified missions, the one for the upcoming NROL-49 mission offers some hints as to its purpose.

The link below is for a very interesting article on a future NRO launch no. 49. If you are interested in military space missions, this one is worth the look.

Better the devil you know…
by Dwayne Day

NROL L-32 to Launch in October 2010

FOR RELEASE AT
5 p.m. ET No. 902-09
November 18, 2009

AIR FORCE

United Launch Services, LLC, Littleton, Colo., was awarded a $9,000,000 contract which will provide for the acceleration of the launch-to-launch time spans of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle launches to preserve the capability to launch the National Reconnaissance Office L-32 mission in October 2010. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. SMC/LRSW, El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity (FA8816-06-C-0002, P00171).

http://www.defenselink.mil/contracts/contract.aspx?contractid=4164

US Launches Advanced Elint Satellite

United Launch Alliance’s Delta IV Heavy rocket carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office successfully lifted off from Space Launch Complex 37 at CCAFS at 9:47 p.m. EST (0247 UTC) today. The launch was originally scheduled for 2005, but was delayed due to a number of issues, and lift-off took place at 0247 UTC on 18 January 2009.

This was the first Delta IV Heavy mission for the NRO. Designated NROL-26, the mission is in support of national defense. This was the third Delta IV Heavy launch in Delta program history.

“This first Delta IV Heavy launch for the NRO is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication by the combined NRO, Air Force, supplier and ULA team,” said Jim Sponnick, ULA Vice President, Delta Product Line.

NROL-26 is a classified spacecraft which is to be operated by the United States National Reconnaissance Office.

According to reports by Aviation Week and other sources, NROL-26 is believed to be either the first Intruder satellite or an Advanced Orion, ELINT satellite.

Aviation Week reports, "It fundamentally involves America's biggest, most secret and expensive military spacecraft on board the world's largest rocket." The combined cost of the spacecraft and launch vehicle has been estimated to be over US$2 billion.

You can read the Aviation Week article online at
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=space&id=news/NRODSP12108.xml

Kevin Fetter on the SEESAT-L group posted these updated element sets based on last night's launch:

GTO burn at 1st descending node 278 X 36398 km
1 70502U 9018.341849515 .00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 03
2 70502 27.2800 337.3117 7307000 182.9000 167.5000 2.23480000 05

GTO burn at 1st ascending node 278 X 36398 km
1 70503U 09018.16413612 .00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 04
2 70503 27.2800 337.1517 7307000 3.4000 359.6000 2.23480000 09

Photo by Pat Corkery, courtesy of ULA.

“We appreciate the support from our mission partners in achieving this milestone. ULA is pleased to contribute to our nation’s security, and to continue our strong partnership with the NRO. We look forward to launching many more NRO missions on ULA’s Delta IV Medium, Delta IV Heavy and Atlas V vehicles.” The ULA Delta IV Heavy vehicle featured a center common booster core with two strap-on common booster cores. Each common booster core was powered by the RS-68 cryogenic engine. An RL10B-2 cryogenic engine powered the second stage. Both engines are built by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. The payload was encased by a 5-meter diameter (16.7-foot diameter) aluminum, tri-sector payload fairing. ULA constructed the Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle in Decatur, Ala. This was the first launch for ULA in 2009. ULA's next launch is NASA’s NOAA-N Prime mission currently scheduled for Feb. 4, aboard a Delta II from Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

Dead American Spy Satellite to hit earth in Mid-March

A new twoline element set has been posted by Ted Molczan to the SEESAT-L newsgroup for the dead USA 193/NROL-21 radar spy satellite. According to this latest element set USA 193 is still on a collison with earth something around March 19, 2008, plus or minus one week.

Below is the complete post from Ted.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Alberto Rango has reported a new observation, which I used to update the orbital
elements:

USA 193 5.0 2.5 0.0 4.3 v 260 X 268 km
1 29651U 06057A 08040.19031987 .00154186 00000-0 23822-3 0 09
2 29651 58.4879 79.7345 0006557 83.6022 276.5824 16.03599602 00
Arc 2008 Feb 04.28 - 09.21, WRMS residuals = 0.039 deg

Mean rate of altitude decrease over the past five days was about 850 m/d (metres
per day).

Definition of 2-line elements format:
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/SSapplications/Post/JavaSSOP/SSOP
_Help/tle_def.html

Using the above elements and a 10.7 cm solar flux of 71, Satevo v0.51 estimates
decay from orbit on 2008 March 19, in reasonable agreement with earlier
estimates. The uncertainty is at least one week.

US Spy Satellite USA 193/NROL-21 Update 2/2/2008

Ted Molzcan on the SEESAT group has posted a new element set for this ill-fated American radar imaging spy atellite. Here are updated elements:





USA 193 5.0 2.5 0.0 4.3 v 267 X 275 km
1 29651U 06057A 08032.26673860 .00108121 00000-0 19426-3 0 03
2 29651 58.4892 115.4602 0006491 79.8395 280.3436 16.01043930 04
Arc 2008 Jan 30.29 - Feb 01.29, WRMS residuals = 0.029 deg

Definition of 2-line elements format posted above can be found at http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/SSapplications/Post/JavaSSOP/SSOP
_Help/tle_def.html

Using Satevo v0.51 with a 10.7 cm solar flux of 71, results in a decay prediction for USA 193 of March 29, 2008, in line with earlier estimates. The uncertainty is at least one week.

Ted has updated the standard visual magnitude calculation:
http://satobs.org/seesat_ref/06057A/06057A_stdmag_6.jpg

Results are unchanged: mag 4.3 +/- 2, at range 1000 km, phase angle 90 deg. Co-efficient of phase = 1.26 mag/rad (0.0220 mag/deg).

And on a personal note, I am pleased to welcome Ms Angela Gunn, the Tech-Space guru and blooger at USA Today, as a reader of this blog. Thanks for the kind words Angela and keep that hard hat within reach. Now if we can get the Alpha Centaurians to groove out on the Beatles. For more on this tidbit, see my story on the Beatles and space my personal blog - BMP at http://monitor-post.blogspot.com/2008/02/beatles-will-be-beaming-to-polaris.html

NRO Spy Satellite Returning to Earth 1/31/2008 Update

NORAD Operations Center (USAF Photo)

According to an online CNN.com article dated January 29 (http://edition.cnn.com/2008/US/01/29/dead.satellite.ap/index.html) the U.S. military is developing contingency plans to deal with the possibility that a large spy satellite expected to fall to Earth in late February or early March could hit North America.

Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart, who heads of U.S. Northern Command, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the size of the satellite suggests that some number of pieces will not burn up as the orbiting vehicle re-enters the Earth's atmosphere and will hit the ground.

A U.S. official confirmed that the spy satellite is designated by the military as US 193 (Actually that is an error - it is USA 193-LVH). It was launched in December 2006 but almost immediately lost power and cannot be controlled. It carried a sophisticated and secret imaging sensor but the satellite's central computer failed shortly after launch. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the information is classified as secret.

The US media has been a dissappointment in reporting this story. For instance, this morning the Fox News Fox and Friends anchors were wearing hardhats during their reporting of this story and basically had most the story completely wrong. Fortunately their guest, a former NASA astronaut, set the record straight.

On the latest JSR Stop Press (http://www.planet4589.org/space/jsr/latest.html), Jonathan reports the following:

"The NRO's experimental USA 193 surveillance satellite, which was reported to be crippled soon after its launch on a Delta II in Dec 2006 into a 351 x 365 km x 58 deg orbit, is approaching reentry. Orbital data from independent observers show that the satellite's trajectory has slowly decayed since launch due to friction with the atmosphere; by Jan 22 it was in a 275 x 279 km x 58 deg orbit dropping about 1 km a day, and the decrease in height will soon accelerate catastrophically. The satellite is thought to have been intended to test prototype instruments for future spy satellites, possibly including a radar sensor; it was reportedly developed by Lockheed Martin (LM-Sunnyvale has experience in recon satellites, but LM-Denver is involved in the Space Radar area; both groups could be involved). Reports of 'dangerous material' on board the satellite may refer to hydrazine orbit adjust propellant; mass of the spacecraft is probably around 2000 to 3000 kg. It's fairly rare for satellite payloads of this mass to have an uncontrolled reentry -only one or two a year - but empty rocket stages as heavy as this come down about once every three weeks, so the media attention accorded this particular event seems over enthusiastic to me.

On the SEESAT-L newsgroup, the dean of the visual satellite trackers Ted Molzcan wrote:

"Aviation Week and Space Technology has reported on a classified satellite which entered safe-hold mode just 7 seconds after reaching orbit, and never came out of safe-hold; I suspect this was in reference to USA 193:

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/SBIRS101507.xml&channel=space

"Entry into safe-hold so soon after reaching orbit may have precluded deployment of the solar-panels. Perhaps they generated some power in their stowed position, but insufficient to maintain the charge on the batteries.

"The late Ivan Artner and other radio monitors heard it transmit a strong signal on 2249.5 MHz for about 1.5 days after launch, after which it fell silent. On his final reception, Ivan experienced three signal dropouts of several millisecond duration, which may have been a sign of trouble with the transmitter or the power supply. All this seems consistent with failure to deploy solar
panels, and subsequent rapid battery run-down."

Another good story on USA 193 can be found on the SatTrackCam Leiden station (b)log at
http://sattrackcam.blogspot.com/2008/01/usa-193-imminent-decay-in-news.html.

My original story on USA 193/NROL 21 failure can be found at
http://mt-milcom.blogspot.com/2007/01/expensive-new-us-spy-satellite.html and the link at http://mt-milcom.blogspot.com/2006/12/nrol-21-launched.html is my initial report on the launch. My story of USA 193 returning to earth appeared at http://mt-milcom.blogspot.com/2008/01/american-spy-sat-size-of-bus-is-out-of.html

Milcom blog fact check: In the past 50 years of monitoring space, 17,000 manmade objects have re-entered the Earth's atmosphere.

American spy sat out of control and returning to Earth - Update

An aerial view shows the Delta II lifting off at Vandenberg Air Force Base of NROL 21. Photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Richard Freeland, USAF.

Here is the story on a failed US Milsat dominating the news coverage this morning courtesy of the UK Daily Mail - link at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=510674&in_page_id=1811

A 10-ton American spy satellite has lost power and could hit the Earth in the next few weeks, government officials said today.

The satellite, which no longer can be controlled, could contain hazardous materials, and it is unknown where on the planet it might come down, they said.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the information is classified as secret. It was not clear how long ago the satellite lost power, or under what circumstances.

Appropriate government agencies are monitoring the situation," said Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the National Security Council, when asked about the situation after it was disclosed by other officials.

"Numerous satellites over the years have come out of orbit and fallen harmlessly. We are looking at potential options to mitigate any possible damage this satellite may cause."

He would not comment on whether it is possible for the satellite to perhaps be shot down by a missile. He said it would be inappropriate to discuss any specifics at this time.

A senior government official said that lawmakers and other nations are being kept apprised of the situation.

The spacecraft contains hydrazine - which is rocket fuel - according to a government official who was not authorized to speak publicly but spoke on condition of anonymity.

Hydrazine, a colorless liquid with an ammonia-like odor, is a toxic chemical and can cause harm to anyone who contacts it.

An uncontrolled re-entry could risk exposure of U.S. secrets, said John Pike, a defense and intelligence expert.

Spy satellites typically are disposed of through a controlled re-entry into the ocean so that no one else can access the spacecraft, he said.

Pike also said it is not likely the threat from the satellite could be eliminated by shooting it down with a missile, because that would create debris that would then re-enter the atmosphere and burn up or hit the ground.

Pike, director of the defense research group GlobalSecurity.org, estimated that the spacecraft weighs about 10 tons and was the size of a small bus.

He said the satellite would create 10 times less debris than the Columbia space shuttle crash in 2003. Satellites have natural decay periods, and it is possible this one died as long as a year ago and is just now getting ready to re-enter the atmosphere, he said.

Jeffrey Richelson, a senior fellow with the National Security Archive, said the spacecraft likely is a photo reconnaissance satellite.

Such eyes in the sky are used to gather visual information from space about adversarial governments and terror groups, including construction at suspected nuclear sites or militant training camps.

The satellites also can be used to survey damage from hurricanes, fires and other natural disasters.

The largest uncontrolled re-entry by a NASA spacecraft was Skylab, the 78-ton (79.25-metric ton) abandoned space station that fell from orbit in 1979.

Its debris dropped harmlessly into the Indian Ocean and across a remote section of western Australia.

In 2000, NASA engineers successfully directed a safe de-orbit of the 17-ton (17.27-metric ton) Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, using rockets aboard the satellite to bring it down in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean.

In 2002, officials believe debris from a 7,000-pound (3175.18-kilogram) science satellite smacked into the Earth's atmosphere and rained down over the Persian Gulf, a few thousand miles from where they first predicted it would plummet.

Milcom Blog Note: The Milcom Monitoring Post is working towards IDing which NRO recon bird this is. Some on the Seesat newsgroup think this milsat may be USA 193 (NROL 21) - 2006-056C - 29651, launched on December 16, 2006, at 2100 UTC onboard a Delta 2 (Delta 7920-10C) from the Western Test Range Vandenberg (SLC-2W). The orbit observed soon after launch (380 km x 353 km, 58.5 degress inclination) fits the profile that this may have been an experimental radar recon satellite mission manufactured by Lockheed Martin.

Soon after launch my good friend John Locker in the UK reported that this satellite failed within hours of its launch and the solar arrays never deployed. On January 22, 2008, the Dean of Visual Satellite observers - Mr. Ted Molczan - made the following post to the Seesat newsgroup:->

Using Alan Pickup's Satevo program, I estimate 06057A (aka USA 193) will decay about 2008 Mar24, +/- 2 weeks.

USA 193 5.0 2.5 0.0 4.3 v
1 29651U 06057A 08022.26928906 .00106843 00000-0 21608-3 0 00
2 29651 58.4898 160.3690 0008009 84.4119 275.7892 15.98955224 06
Arc 2008 Jan 20.22 - 22.28, WRMS residuals = 0.016 deg

The evidence would strongly indicate that USA 193 is the failed mission described in press reports.

My original story on USA 193/NROL 21 failure can be found at
http://mt-milcom.blogspot.com/2007/01/expensive-new-us-spy-satellite.html and the link at http://mt-milcom.blogspot.com/2006/12/nrol-21-launched.html is my initial report on the launch.

The link below is the launch release on USA 193/NROL-21 from the Aerospace Corp website.
http://www.aero.org/news/newsitems/NROL-2112-14-06.html

Marco Langbroek has posted a small diagram showing how USA 193 is increasingly losing altitude over time the past year on his blog at http://sattrackcam.blogspot.com/2008/01/usa-193-imminent-decay-in-news.html

NROL-24/USA-198 Kep/Freq Update 1-6-2008

Here is the latest keplerian element set for NROL-24/USA-198 (2007-060A/32378) posted by Ted Molzcan to the SEESAT-L newsgroup. Many thanks to Ted and the group for the update below.

525 X 39695 km
1 32378U 07060A 08005.56155949 .00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 06
2 32378 62.6300 308.0133 7393786 266.0881 15.1031 2.01368592 01
Arc 2007 Jan 02.76 - 05.89, WRMS residuals = 0.008 deg

The last reported frequency from this bird was by Greg Roberts in South Africa. He observed an S-band downlink at 2242.5 MHz.

NROL-24/USA-198 Kep/Freq Update 12-15-2007

A National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) payload was successfully launched aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) from Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral, Florida, on December 10, 2007 at 5:05 p.m. EST. This is the second Atlas V launch of an NRO payload.

“Today’s launch culminates many years of hard work and is a tribute to our dedicated government and industry team,” said Col James Norman, Mission Director.

The NRO is a joint organization engaged in the research and development, acquisition, launch and operation of overhead reconnaissance systems necessary to meet the needs of the Intelligence Community and the Department of Defense. This launch directly supports NRO’s goals of being the foundation for global situational awareness and for providing intelligence information on timelines responsive to user needs.

Following the tradition of NRO launches on Atlas rockets, the mission was given a name - Scorpius. The mission logo was displayed on the rocket's nose cone featuring a scorpion, a saying translated to "Beware Our Sting" and satellites flying in different types of orbits around Earth.

Ted Molczan on the SEESAT newsgroup posted the following Kep element sets for the USA 198 payload and Centaur rocket body based on recent visual observations.

USA 198 259 X 16774 km
1 32378U 07060A 07347.70298699 .00000273 00000-0 27163-4 0 05
2 32378 60.0102 316.7088 5544157 287.2561 21.4044 4.77576618 05
Arc 2007 Dec 11.01 - 13.81, WRMS residuals = 0.012 deg

Centaur 224 X 16299 km
1 32379U 07060B 07347.83811522 .00041920 00000-0 19103-2 0 03
2 32379 60.7629 317.4582 5490058 285.5459 22.5500 4.90095032 01
Arc 2007 Dec 11.01 - 13.87, WRMS residuals = 0.022 deg

And Greg Roberts in South Africa reported via the Harsat newsgroup a S-band frequency for USA 198 of 2242.500 MHz.

Rocket fails to put NROL Spy Sats in right orbit

Name: USA 194 (NROL-30/NOSS 3-4 Mission)
International Desig: 2007-027A
SSC #: 31701
Launch Date/Time: 15 Jun 2007/1512 UTC
Launch Site: USAF Eastern Test Range
Launcher: Atlas 5/Centaur Upper Stage
Note: US Air Force Space Command only shows one payload associated with this launch, but there should be two payloads and the rocket bodies.

From the AGI Launch Notification Service:
"An Atlas V rocket blasted out of Cape Canaveral this morning carrying a pair of top-secret spy satellites believed to be used to track ships at sea.

"The rocket's first stage is performed perfectly as it arced out across the Atlantic Ocean, cutting across a nearly-clear blue sky. At payload fairing separation, the National Reconnaissance Office cut public access to the mission control loops so officials could begin working with the deployment of the classified spacecraft.

"The magazine Aviation Week & Space Technology reports that the secret spacecraft are two satellites intended to track ships moving at sea, including those that might hint at terrorist activities or Chinese or Iranian naval tactics. They are being launched for the National Reconnaissance Office."

Amateur video of this military launch can be seen at http://youtube.com/watch?v=KCmPM16lKLM. Latest elsets at the end of story below.

The story below is an update on the mission courtesy of Florida Today.

Rocket fails to put craft in right orbit - Satellites required to boost selves
By John Kelly, Florida Today

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070616/NEWS02/706160326

A pair of top-secret ocean surveillance spacecraft blasted off from Cape Canaveral on Friday morning, but the Atlas 5 rocket's upper stage failed to deliver them to the targeted orbit.

The Air Force and the National Reconnaissance Office, the clandestine agency in charge of the United States' spy satellites, confirmed a performance problem with the Centaur upper stage of the Atlas 5 rocket.

However, the NRO said it is "confident in the performance of its mission."

The trade publication Aviation Week & Space Technology offered details.

The magazine said the two spacecraft, which it identified as ocean surveillance satellites, separated from the Centaur upper stage.

However, the Centaur's second engine firing did not last long enough, leaving the spacecraft short of the intended target.

The magazine reported the two satellites had enough propellant of their own to maneuver into the appropriate higher orbit.

If the spacecraft have to use their own propellant to boost their orbits, it will reduce the satellites' useful on-orbit lifetime.

The Atlas 5 blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Pad 41 at 11:12 a.m., arcing out across the Atlantic Ocean bound for a secret orbit.

Details about the spacecraft, flight path and target destination were kept secret by the government.

Early in the day, the government and Atlas 5 team reported the spacecraft successfully separated from the launch vehicle.

However, by late evening, a statement was issued, indicating that the rocket's upper stage did not perform as designed.

The Air Force said the Centaur "had a technical anomaly which resulted in minor performance degradation."

The Air Force and NRO would not elaborate. United Launch Alliance would not comment.

The Air Force, which manages the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program under which the Atlas flies, launched an investigation.

Friday's countdown was relatively smooth. Late in the countdown, the launch team studied an issue related to a liquid hydrogen valve and pushed the launch back eight minutes while engineers made sure that the problem would not hamper the flight.

The Atlas family of launch vehicles had tallied 80 consecutive successes prior to the launch of the super-secret NRO payload on Friday.

The Atlas string of successes date back to 1993, when an Atlas first-stage engine failure left a Navy communications satellite in the wrong orbit.

Back-to-back Atlas missions went awry in April 1991 and August 1992 when Centaur upper-stage engines suffered nearly identical failures.

Commercial communications satellites were lost on both missions.

A Centaur upper-stage failure during an April 1999 Titan 4 rocket mission left a $1 billion Milstar military communications satellite useless.

Latest elsets for the NOSS 3-4 mission courtesy of Daniel Deak and the SEESAT gang.
NOSS 3-4 (A)
1 31701U 07027A 07167.06697797 0.00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 06
2 31701 63.4420 44.9170 0300000 182.7408 177.2592 13.66600000 01
NOSS CENTAUR
1 70002U 07166.70111494 .00000011 00000-0 20000-4 0 07
2 70002 63.4420 42.8917 0107863 182.7436 177.3009 13.39714521 00

'Mission accomplished' for NRO at Onizuka AFS

by Capt. Tony Muro, Operating Division 4 Detachment 1

4/23/2007 - ONIZUKA AIR FORCE STATION, Calif. -- The National Reconnaissance Office's mission here ended recently after 46 years of service to the nation.

Dr. Donald Kerr, director of the NRO in Washington, D.C., presided over a deactivation ceremony in March wherein he thanked the men and women of the Blue Cube here for their dedicated service.

More than 800 guests attended the ceremony and open house, including Lt. Gen. Frank Klotz, vice commander of Air Force Space Command; Brig. Gen. Larry James, director of the Signal Intelligence Systems Acquisitions and Operations Directorate; and former NRO Director Jeff Harris.

The ceremony reflected upon the rich history and many contributions that the Onizuka facility has made to the nation's space reconnaissance efforts. The division's story dates back to the late 1950s and the beginning of Soviet and American efforts in space.

The space race began with the launch of Sputnik in 1957, after which a small plot of land in Sunnyvale, Calif., became the hub of space reconnaissance. At its peak in 1993, the Blue Cube housed more than 1,200 people and provided communications and infrastructure support to a wide variety of organizations.

Onizuka AFS holds a legendary history of firsts that helped the NRO become the leading-edge organization it is today, Dr. Kerr said. Throughout the years, the facility has been a critical node in space operations and has led the way during the nation's first steps in groundbreaking reconnaissance from space.

At the dawn of imagery intelligence from space, Onizuka AFS was the birthplace of the Corona program, the world's first photo reconnaissance satellite. Included in this program was the first mapping of Earth from space, the first midair recovery of a vehicle returning from space and the first views of denied areas from space.

Dr. Kerr honored the men and women of Onizuka for their dedication to establishing the NRO, as well as for being the cornerstone in the nation's security from space. He thanked them for their tenacity in protecting freedom and for ensuring the United States always held the ultimate high ground.

Vandenberg successfully launches Delta II

Vandenberg successfully launches Delta II

by Airman 1st Class Erica Stewart
30th Space Wing Public Affairs

12/19/2006 - VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) -- Vandenberg AFB officials successfully launched a Delta II rocket carrying a National Reconnaissance Office payload from Space Launch Complex-2 at 1 p.m. Dec. 14 here.

The Delta II, a 125.75-foot expendable launch, medium-lift vehicle, launches civil and commercial payloads into low-earth, polar, geosynchronous transfer and stationary orbits.

"(This) successful launch was accomplished from the outstanding teamwork from all organizations to include the 30th Space Wing, Space and Missile Systems Center, NRO, and recently named United Launch Alliance," said Col. Jack Weinstein, 30th SW commander.

"Vandenberg ensures national security with each executed launch, continuously proving that no one does it better," he said.

"The perfect orbit insertion we achieved is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the professional Airmen of the 30th Space Wing," said Lt. Col. David Goldstein, commander of the 4th Space Launch Squadron. "The 4th SLS along with the 30th Launch Support Squadron and the Aerospace corporation conducted launch base mission assurance guaranteeing 100 percent mission success and we delivered; the satellite launched will provide invaluable intelligence data to support the war on terrorism."

The next United Launch Alliance mission from Vandenberg AFB will be an Atlas V in the spring.