USA-202

USA-202

USA 202 and Thuraya 2, photographed on 8 December 2010 from the Netherlands.
Mission type ELINT
Operator NRO
COSPAR ID 2009-001A
SATCAT № 33490
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type Orion
Start of mission
Launch date 18 January 2009, 02:47 (2009-01-18UTC02:47Z) UTC
Rocket Delta IV Heavy
Launch site Cape Canaveral SLC-37B
Contractor United Launch Alliance
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Geosynchronous
Longitude 44° east[1]
Perigee 35,777 kilometers (22,231 mi)
Apogee 35,809 kilometers (22,251 mi)
Inclination 3.69 degrees
Period 23.93 hours
Epoch 1 January 2014, 15:43:08 UTC[2]

USA 202,[3] previously NRO Launch 26 or NROL-26, is a classified spacecraft which is to be operated by the United States National Reconnaissance Office. It is an Advanced Orion ELINT satellite. According to Aviation Week it, "Fundamentally involves America's biggest, most secret and expensive military spacecraft on board the world's largest rocket."[4] The combined cost of the spacecraft and launch vehicle has been estimated to be over US$2 billion.[4]

Launch

USA-202 was launched from Space Launch Complex 37B at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, on the third flight of a Delta IV Heavy rocket. The launch was originally scheduled for 2005, but was delayed due to a number of issues, and lift-off took place at 02:47 GMT on 18 January 2009.[5]

References

  1. "UCS Satellite Database". Union of Concerned Scientists. 1 September 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  2. Peat, Chris (1 January 2014). "USA 202 - Orbit". Heavens Above. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  3. McDowell, Jonathan. "Issue 605". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 2009-01-18.
  4. 1 2 "NRO Delays Delta IV Heavy Launch". Aviation Week. Dec 10, 2008.
  5. "First ULA Delta IV Heavy NRO Mission Successfully Lifts Off From Cape Canaveral". ULA.

External links

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