USA-231

ORS-1

Illustration of the ORS-1 satellite
Mission type Imaging
Operator US DoD
COSPAR ID 2011-029A
SATCAT № 37728
Spacecraft properties
Bus ATK satellite bus
Manufacturer Alliant Techsystems
Launch mass 434 kilograms (957 lb)[1]
Start of mission
Launch date 1 July 2011, 03:09 (2011-07-01UTC03:09Z) UTC[2]
Rocket Minotaur I
Launch site Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport LP-0B
Contractor Orbital Sciences
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Low Earth
Perigee 423 kilometers (263 mi)[3]
Apogee 427 kilometers (265 mi)[3]
Inclination 40.07 degrees[3]
Period 92.93 minutes[3]
Epoch January 13, 2015, 04:45:04 UTC[3]

USA-231,[4] or ORS-1 (Operationally Responsive Space-1) is an American reconnaissance satellite which was launched in 2011 from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia by a Minotaur I launch vehicle.[2] It is the first operational satellite of the Operationally Responsive Space Office. It is equipped with a Senior Year Electro-Optical Reconnaissance System (SYERS) 2A.[5]

ORS-1 satellite is designed to provide orbital space imagery of Southwest Asia and to enhance battlespace awareness to operational field commanders. The ORS-1 will undergo a 30-day trial and adjustment check before the ORS Office turns over it operations to USAF’s 1st Space Operations Squadron at Schriever AFB, Colorado.[2]

Minotaur I Rocket Launch at NASA Wallops, June 30, 2011 with ORS-1

SYERS functions

SYERS 2 is an optical and infrared camera with a 40 cm aperature and a field of view larger than 2 degree. It uses Time Delay and Integration CCD sensors to compensate for ground motion, resulting in a resolution of 1m (NIIRS 4) from a nominal 300 km orbit.[6] SYERS 2 is supplied by the Goodrich Corporation.

SYERS previous version has also been used with the Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft.[7]

See also

References

  1. "UCS Satellite Database". Union of Concerned Scientists. 1 September 2013. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 Church, Aaron, Assoc. Editor (August 2011). "Air Force World – Minotaur on the Chesapeake". Air Force Magazine. Vol. 94 no. 8 (Air Force Association). p. 17. ISSN 0730-6784. Retrieved August 4, 2011..
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Peat, Chris (January 13, 2015). "ORS 1 (USA 231) - Orbit". Heavens-Above. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
  4. Christy, Robert. "2011". Zarya Diaries. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
  5. Morring, Jr., Frank (2011-06-27). "ORS-1 Satellite Set For Launch". Aviation Week.
  6. Stanley Kishner, David Flynn, Charles Cox (2006). "E-O Reconnaissance Payloads for Responsive Space: Leveraging Airborne Sensor Investments" (PDF). AIAA 4th Responsive Space Conference 2006.
  7. Voorhees, Carla (2011-06-28). "ORS-1 Imaging Satellite Scheduled For Liftoff". dodlive.mil.
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