Spy Satellite Launched From Calif. By Associated Press VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- A secret satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office was launched into orbit Friday by a giant Titan 4B rocket. The Titan lifted off at 2:21 p.m. and the payload separated nine minutes later, the Air Force said. The mission was not disclosed. Technical problems had delayed the launch since Monday. Outside experts have said the satellite was likely equipped with a digital camera able to show objects as small as 4 inches diameter on the ground. The NRO builds and operates the nation's spy satellites. Prior to 1996, it did not publicly disclose the launches of its satellites. The launch was the 33rd of a Titan 4, the nation's largest unmanned launch vehicle. Four Titan 4 launches have failed, including three in 1998 and 1999. Built by Lockheed Martin, Titan 4s can put a 47,800-pound payload into low-Earth orbit or more than 12,700 pounds into geosynchronous orbit 22,300 miles above the Earth. http://latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-classified-launch1005... I saw two shooting stars last night I wished on them but they were only satellites It's wrong to wish on space hardware I wish, I wish, I wish you'd care A new England Billy Bragg
The NRO's web page "How to Contact Us" information doesn't say "Put a big sign on your roof and we'll call you." but it does have pointers to CIA recruiting information. http://www.nro.gov/funstuff.html - kids! Build your own satellite! http://www.nro.gov/satpics.html - pics of a spy satellite NIMA has cut back on what pictures they'll distribute, according to John Young, but there's still some good stuff there. http://164.214.2.59/navsafety.html - lots of GPS-related material. http://164.214.2.59/gns/html/cntyfile/av.txt - anguilla ICBM addresses. Vince Cate: 1 -1393191 -2000673 18.2166667 -63.05 181300 -630300 20QMF9471314158 MF91 NE20-06 P PPLC AV 0 N THEVALLEY The Valley The Valley http://164.214.2.59/gns/html/cntyfile/af.zip - Afghanistan http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/notes/gps/gps_f.html - GPS Technology. At 11:51 AM 10/06/2001 -0700, Optimizzin Al-gore-rhythm wrote:
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- A secret satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office was launched into orbit Friday by a giant Titan 4B rocket. .... Outside experts have said the satellite was likely equipped with a digital camera able to show objects as small as 4 inches diameter on the ground.
Amazing - they used to talk about 1 meter resolution....
The NRO builds and operates the nation's spy satellites. Prior to 1996, it did not publicly disclose the launches of its atellites.
The launch was the 33rd of a Titan 4, the nation's largest unmanned launch vehicle. Four Titan 4 launches have failed, including three in 1998 and 1999.
More than 10% fail on launch - I'll be happy to let them stay unmanned... Reminds me of the scene in "The Right Stuff" where the astronaut is talking about how he's about to get thrown into space by a rocket built by the lowest bidder.
Speaking about the NRO.. I drive passed Onizuka all the time, it looks like after sept 11 the satelite recievers at Onizuka (aka the blue cube) have been repositions.. I was out of the state at the time to look at it, so I cant verify, it just looke ddifferent when I got back, they were i think south east when I left, and now one is west one is south-south-west Max On Sat, Oct 06, 2001 at 02:22:43PM -0700, Bill Stewart wrote:
The NRO's web page "How to Contact Us" information doesn't say "Put a big sign on your roof and we'll call you." but it does have pointers to CIA recruiting information. http://www.nro.gov/funstuff.html - kids! Build your own satellite! http://www.nro.gov/satpics.html - pics of a spy satellite
Yes, the Right Stuff was an excelent movie.
On Saturday, October 6, 2001, at 03:00 PM, maxinux wrote:
Speaking about the NRO.. I drive passed Onizuka all the time, it looks like after sept 11 the satelite recievers at Onizuka (aka the blue cube) have been repositions.. I was out of the state at the time to look at it, so I cant verify, it just looke ddifferent when I got back, they were i think south east when I left, and now one is west one is south-south-west
Probably unrelated to any new satellites, especially as the only once since 9/11 was just launched yesterday. Probably some sats have been moved to new locations. Even if repositioned, the imaging satellites (KH-12s, etc.) usually relay their data to TDRSS and DSCS relay satellites, and then down to the ground stations. Lastly, most of the Blue Cube's duties got transferred to Falcon AFB in Colorado some years ago.
--Tim May "Gun Control: The theory that a woman found dead in an alley, raped and strangled with her panty hose, is somehow morally superior to a woman explaining to police how her attacker got that fatal bullet wound"
participants (4)
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Bill Stewart -
maxinux -
Optimizzin Al-gorithm -
Tim May