Posted on 11/22/2010 12:24:31 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
***********************************************
( not sure I believe that....)
*************************************
A powerful Delta 4 rocket roared to life and climbed away from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Sunday evening on a high-priority mission to boost a National Reconnaissance Office spy satellite into orbit.
Under a cloudy sky, the hydrogen-fueled engines in the three common core boosters of the United Launch Alliance Delta 4 ignited with a rush of orange fire at 5:58 p.m. EST and quickly throttled up to nearly 2 million pounds of thrust.
Hold-down clamps then released and the huge rocket majestically climbed away from launch complex 37 atop a torrent of fiery exhaust. About 30 seconds later, it knifed into a deck of low clouds and disappeared from view.
Because the NROL-32 payload is classified, United Launch Alliance halted commentary about seven minutes after liftoff, just after the protective nose cone fairing separated and fell away. The vehicle was performing normally at that point, but no other updates were expected.
The payload is believed to be an electronic eavesdropping satellite with a huge collecting antenna. In a September address to the Air Force Association, NRO Director Bruce Carlson said the Delta 4 was carrying "the largest satellite in the world."
"I believe the payload is the fifth in the series of what we call Mentor spacecraft, a.k.a. Advanced Orion," Ted Molczan, a respected satellite tracker, told Spaceflight Now. "They are among the largest satellites ever deployed."
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
>> If it’s so secret, why do we know about it?
(face palm)
Now you’ve done it... if you noobies would just keep your mouth shut, but Noooooo...
We’re gonna have to kill you.
What’s your address?
:-)
http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/trumpet.htm
“The MENTOR 1-3 spacecraft introduced the very large unfurling dish structures “wrap-rib” large deployable bleached white gold colored mesh covered receiving dish antenna design of about 350 feet in diameter with a total spacecraft estimated mass of an estimated 10,000 pounds for the Titan-4A Centaur and 12,700 pounds for the Titan-4B Centaur. MENTOR’s first launch was May 14, 1995 and the second subsequent launch was May 9, 1998 while its third and last launch was on September 9, 2003. “
This is a variant on the Mentor “advanced Orion” and it apparently is that big....
Hell, it’s so secret that Stormer has the blueprint for it. ;-)
http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/trumpet.htm
“The MENTOR 1-3 spacecraft introduced the very large unfurling dish structures “wrap-rib” large deployable bleached white gold colored mesh covered receiving dish antenna design of about 350 feet in diameter with a total spacecraft estimated mass of an estimated 10,000 pounds for the Titan-4A Centaur and 12,700 pounds for the Titan-4B Centaur. MENTOR’s first launch was May 14, 1995 and the second subsequent launch was May 9, 1998 while its third and last launch was on September 9, 2003. “
This is a variant on the Mentor “advanced Orion” and it apparently is that big....
And it says 1993....sure takes awhile to build those things.
Egads, man! You mean it has centimeter resolution??
This bird has something on the order of 90 db of rf gain.
From a mere 23,000 miles up that much gain equates to having a quarter wavelength antenna hooked to a sensitive receiver within a few inches of any rf radiator on the ground.
Awesome capabilities both receiving and transmitting.
You could spoof any sort of rf traffic worldwide with a few of these spaced around the equator.
Sounds HUGE
The orbit for NROL-32 is stated as being high oblique angle, in other words, a high apogee, Molniya orbit. Meaning the mass of the satellite is within that range and that 24 hour coverage over a given area requires at least 3 equi-synchronized satellites.
The Molniya orbit places operations within the Pacific and Indian Oceans area coverage with perigee incursions to Russia and east Asia and the western US Seaboard.
The Eye of Sauron
It’s shaped like the Sta-Puft marshmallow man.
Ah! Makes sense. Thanks E.
I think the dimensions must include a solar array? 328 feet wide, ain’t very secret, easily seen from the ground. Any of us of the right age can remember watching that huge-assed Skylab flying by overhead.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.