LIVE: Delta IV Heavy - NROL-15 - June 29, 2012

[Star One]

If this thing really does have a huge antenna, in the 75-100m range, how does that compare to the Webb Telescope solar shade ?

It would seem that someone already knows how to reliably build large structures that can fold up for launch, and then deploy into a large structure once on orbit.

This feeding of knowledge from one side to the other of the space industry is quite common from what I can tell, so I would think your supposition isn't far off the mark.

[ChileVerde]

According to http://www.satobs.org/seesat/Aug-2012/0380.html , USA 237, the presumed primary payload of NROL-15, has settled into a near-synchronous orbit at 48.5 East.  This gives a good line of sight to  many places the US is interested in and is consistent with the hypothesis that USA 237 is a very large SIGINT platform.

From the SeeSat message:

USA 237                                              35663 X 35923 km
1 38528U 12034A   12240.76174266  .00000000  00000-0  00000-0 0    07
2 38528   3.4419 299.2989 0030805 309.3748  50.3929  1.00253714    08

[Robotbeat]

According to http://www.satobs.org/seesat/Aug-2012/0380.html , USA 237, the presumed primary payload of NROL-15, has settled into a near-synchronous orbit at 48.5 East.  This gives a good line of sight to  many places the US is interested in and is consistent with the hypothesis that USA 237 is a very large SIGINT platform.

From the SeeSat message:

USA 237                                              35663 X 35923 km
1 38528U 12034A   12240.76174266  .00000000  00000-0  00000-0 0    07
2 38528   3.4419 299.2989 0030805 309.3748  50.3929  1.00253714    08

Any visual measurements of size (based on brightness)?

[Star One]

Does this give any credence to the theories of some that this is a unique one off payload rather than being the first block 2 model of something like the Mentor series of satellites?

[ChileVerde]

Does this give any credence to the theories of some that this is a unique one off payload rather than being the first block 2 model of something like the Mentor series of satellites?

I don't see that this observation says much one way or the other about the uniqueness.  FWLIW, my own inclination is to think that this is a unique mission just based on what's known about its history. Time, probably meaning a fair number of years, will tell.

[ChileVerde]

Any visual measurements of size (based on brightness)?

I'll check -- there must be some visual magnitude estimates out there.

Edit: There's this

http://www.satobs.org/seesat/Jul-2012/0188.html
The object is about 2 magnitudes too bright to be the rocket body; therefore, it is the payload, named USA 237 (12034A / 38528). Its brightness is similar to that of the Mentor series of heavy SIGINT satellites.

[Robotbeat]

Any visual measurements of size (based on brightness)?

I'll check -- there must be some visual magnitude estimates out there.

Edit: There's this

http://www.satobs.org/seesat/Jul-2012/0188.html
The object is about 2 magnitudes too bright to be the rocket body; therefore, it is the payload, named USA 237 (12034A / 38528). Its brightness is similar to that of the Mentor series of heavy SIGINT satellites.

Ah, I see. Confirmation, then, that it's one of those giant deployable-dish type birds. Would be awesome to see a detailed picture of one of those guys deployed, but none likely exist, classified or otherwise.

[ChileVerde]

Ah, I see. Confirmation, then, that it's one of those giant deployable-dish type birds. Would be awesome to see a detailed picture of one of those guys deployed, but none likely exist, classified or otherwise.

I keep hoping someone will launch a public GEO inspector. A modest telescope at slightly sub- or super-synchronous altitude should do the trick. 

[Star One]

Ah, I see. Confirmation, then, that it's one of those giant deployable-dish type birds. Would be awesome to see a detailed picture of one of those guys deployed, but none likely exist, classified or otherwise.

I keep hoping someone will launch a public GEO inspector. A modest telescope at slightly sub- or super-synchronous altitude should do the trick. 

What will happen with that private space telescope that's planned to be launched to look back at the Earth for smaller asteroids, couldn't that accidentally see some larger satellites as well?

[Robotbeat]

Ah, I see. Confirmation, then, that it's one of those giant deployable-dish type birds. Would be awesome to see a detailed picture of one of those guys deployed, but none likely exist, classified or otherwise.

I keep hoping someone will launch a public GEO inspector. A modest telescope at slightly sub- or super-synchronous altitude should do the trick. 

What will happen with that private space telescope that's planned to be launched to look back at the Earth for smaller asteroids, couldn't that accidentally see some larger satellites as well?

It won't have any better resolution than ground scopes unless it's rather large (i.e. ~1 meter aperture) or at a much higher altitude than LEO.

[ChileVerde]

Any visual measurements of size (based on brightness)?

As for brightness, this just in:

http://satobs.org/seesat_ref/misc/Mentor_and_12034A.pdf

Just eyeballing the USA 237 points, they may tend to lie slightly on the dim side of the regression line, but it's way too early to reach any firm conclusions. Patience is called for.  Fortunately, USA 237 is in view of capable observers, so more data should keep coming in.

[Star One]

Ah, I see. Confirmation, then, that it's one of those giant deployable-dish type birds. Would be awesome to see a detailed picture of one of those guys deployed, but none likely exist, classified or otherwise.

I keep hoping someone will launch a public GEO inspector. A modest telescope at slightly sub- or super-synchronous altitude should do the trick. 

What will happen with that private space telescope that's planned to be launched to look back at the Earth for smaller asteroids, couldn't that accidentally see some larger satellites as well?

It won't have any better resolution than ground scopes unless it's rather large (i.e. ~1 meter aperture) or at a much higher altitude than LEO.

Wasn't there talk of basing one of these telescopes in a very high orbit so that it could see the whole of Earth & its surrounding environment?

[kevin-rf]

Wasn't there talk of basing one of these telescopes in a very high orbit so that it could see the whole of Earth & its surrounding environment?

I think your thinking of GoreSat (Triana), It was supposed to sit at L1 and produce a live HD feed of the whole earth disk. Never flew, still sitting in a clean room, currently being rebuilt for launch.

[Star One]

Wasn't there talk of basing one of these telescopes in a very high orbit so that it could see the whole of Earth & its surrounding environment?

I think your thinking of GoreSat (Triana), It was supposed to sit at L1 and produce a live HD feed of the whole earth disk. Never flew, still sitting in a clean room, currently being rebuilt for launch.

That's the one. Is it still set for launch in 2014?

[kevin-rf]

Wasn't there talk of basing one of these telescopes in a very high orbit so that it could see the whole of Earth & its surrounding environment?

I think your thinking of GoreSat (Triana), It was supposed to sit at L1 and produce a live HD feed of the whole earth disk. Never flew, still sitting in a clean room, currently being rebuilt for launch.

That's the one. Is it still set for launch in 2014?

It should have it's own separate thread: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=16053.0

[Star One]

Wasn't there talk of basing one of these telescopes in a very high orbit so that it could see the whole of Earth & its surrounding environment?

I think your thinking of GoreSat (Triana), It was supposed to sit at L1 and produce a live HD feed of the whole earth disk. Never flew, still sitting in a clean room, currently being rebuilt for launch.

That's the one. Is it still set for launch in 2014?

It should have it's own separate thread: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=16053.0

Thanks for that link.

[Satori]

Did anyone managed to get the exact launch time in the format 1315:XX.XXXUTC?

Thanks!

[MP99]

Wasn't there talk of basing one of these telescopes in a very high orbit so that it could see the whole of Earth & its surrounding environment?

I think your thinking of GoreSat (Triana), It was supposed to sit at L1 and produce a live HD feed of the whole earth disk. Never flew, still sitting in a clean room, currently being rebuilt for launch.

That's the one. Is it still set for launch in 2014?

It should have it's own separate thread: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=16053.0

And also http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=30543.0.

cheers, Martin