The intercept has published an article about Pine Gap, with interesting information:https://theintercept.com/2017/08/19/nsa-spy-hub-cia-pine-gap-australia/The most interesting document is:https://theintercept.com/document/2017/08/19/m7600-m8300-sigint-guide/
Does the mission number change correlate with what is believed to be the change to Advanced Orion launches?
There are 8200 serie satellites mentioned in there documents.
I think, these might be newer generation HEO satellites. 8200 is likely not NEMESIS, as these are not used for pinpointing emitters, but to tap into satellite uplinks
Quote from: Skyrocket on 08/21/2017 11:25 amI think, these might be newer generation HEO satellites. 8200 is likely not NEMESIS, as these are not used for pinpointing emitters, but to tap into satellite uplinksThe document which mentioned 8200 satellites is undated. In other document is pointed the first 8300 satellite was launched in 2003. The first Trumpet was launched in 1994 - too early if we compare it with year of the first 8300 launch. The first Trumpet FO was launched in 2006 - close to the first 8300 launch. Nevertheless I think that 8200 satellites relate to Trumpet, not to Trumpet FO satellites.
Quote from: anik on 08/21/2017 08:05 amThere are 8200 serie satellites mentioned in there documents.I think, these might be newer generation HEO satellites. 8200 is likely not NEMESIS, as these are not used for pinpointing emitters, but to tap into satellite uplinks.
Trumpet and the Trumpet follow ons might still be in the same mission number sequence. Rhyolite/Aquacade/early Orions were all 7600 missions and Canyon/Chalet/Vortex/Mercury were all 7500 missions over several S/C generations.
What about NROL-67?
Quote from: Skyrocket on 08/21/2017 01:11 pmTrumpet and the Trumpet follow ons might still be in the same mission number sequence. Rhyolite/Aquacade/early Orions were all 7600 missions and Canyon/Chalet/Vortex/Mercury were all 7500 missions over several S/C generations.Sorry, I meant that a numbering of 8200 satellites has begun with Trumpet, not Trumpet FO. I agree with you that Trumpet FO (and Trumpet FO-2) satellites can continue 8200 numbering. Quote from: Jim on 08/21/2017 01:14 pmWhat about NROL-67?I think that 2014 is too late if we compare 8200 satellites with appearance of 8300 satellites in 2003.
Do you agree that 8300 series are the Advanced Orion satellites?
Quote from: anik on 08/21/2017 12:56 pmQuote from: Skyrocket on 08/21/2017 11:25 amI think, these might be newer generation HEO satellites. 8200 is likely not NEMESIS, as these are not used for pinpointing emitters, but to tap into satellite uplinksThe document which mentioned 8200 satellites is undated. In other document is pointed the first 8300 satellite was launched in 2003. The first Trumpet was launched in 1994 - too early if we compare it with year of the first 8300 launch. The first Trumpet FO was launched in 2006 - close to the first 8300 launch. Nevertheless I think that 8200 satellites relate to Trumpet, not to Trumpet FO satellites.Trumpet and the Trumpet follow ons might still be in the same mission number sequence. Rhyolite/Aquacade/early Orions were all 7600 missions and Canyon/Chalet/Vortex/Mercury were all 7500 missions over several S/C generations.
Quote from: Skyrocket on 08/21/2017 01:11 pmQuote from: anik on 08/21/2017 12:56 pmQuote from: Skyrocket on 08/21/2017 11:25 amI think, these might be newer generation HEO satellites. 8200 is likely not NEMESIS, as these are not used for pinpointing emitters, but to tap into satellite uplinksThe document which mentioned 8200 satellites is undated. In other document is pointed the first 8300 satellite was launched in 2003. The first Trumpet was launched in 1994 - too early if we compare it with year of the first 8300 launch. The first Trumpet FO was launched in 2006 - close to the first 8300 launch. Nevertheless I think that 8200 satellites relate to Trumpet, not to Trumpet FO satellites.Trumpet and the Trumpet follow ons might still be in the same mission number sequence. Rhyolite/Aquacade/early Orions were all 7600 missions and Canyon/Chalet/Vortex/Mercury were all 7500 missions over several S/C generations.The intercept document on program 8300 says that it is "the geostationary component of the IOSA". I think IOSA is Integrated Overhead Sigint Architecture. That means there is another component of the IOSA in another orbit. Since they changed mission number when introducing the 8300 even though they are still called Orion, they also probably switched the mission number of Trumpet to 8200 when doing the re-design for the IOSA.
Look what I came across
Quote from: Jim on 09/16/2017 07:42 pmLook what I came acrossThe PARCAE (a.k.a. NOSS) triplets on the MSD dispenser. The designation MSD-180 hints, that this is from the first launch, as the three PARCAEs of this launch were NRL-PL 181 to 183.http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/noss-1.htmhttp://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/noss-1_msd.htm