Sunday, November 28, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
GeoLITE
2001-020A
GeoLITE is the geosynchronous lightweight technology experiment, an NRO experimental satellite. Launch by Boeing Delta II from CC in early 2001. The TRW-built T-310 satellite has a mass of 1870 kg, with a UHF comms payload from Hughes and a laser comms payload from Lincoln Lab. The new T-310 bus is based on the Rocsat/EOS-Common (STEP) satellite. Dry mass is 929 kg. Size is 3.0 x 1.8 x 1.8m with 8.8m span.
The satellite was assigned the designation USA 158 after launch.
The satellite carried a TRW TR-500 SCAT dual mono/bipropellant 40N hydrazine thruster, which was used to reach GEO in over a dozen orbit raising burns.
As well as the one-year laser comms experiment, GeoLITE hosted an `operational TDDS mission' with a planned lifetime of 9 years. TDDS is the TRAP (Tactical Related Applications) Data Dissemination System which `provides worldwide dissemination of high-interest ELINT, contact reports, and parametric information at the SECRET level.' GeoLITE carried a UHF transponder for the TDDS system (Crosslink, Spring 2005). TDDS was apparently also called IBS-S (Integrated Broadcast Service-Simplex).
The mission control for the lasercom experiment phase was at TRW/DSD in Virginia and the satellite was originally stationed at that longitude. For the TDDS phase it was drifted to another location (possibly the Indian Ocean).
| GeoLITE | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 May 18 | 1745:00 | Launch by Delta 7925-9.5 | CC SLC17B |
| SRM 1-6 sep | |||
| SRM 7-9 sep | |||
| MECO | |||
| St 1 sep | |||
| St 2 SES-1 | |||
| 1750 | Fairing sep | ||
| 1755:32 | T+10:32 SECO-1 | ||
| 1806:37 | T+21:37 SES-2 69s | ||
| 1807:46 | T+23m SECO-2 | 187 x 2011 x 24.7 (UN) | |
| 1809 | T+24m St 2 sep | ||
| 1809:30 | T+24:30 TES | ||
| 1811 | T+26 TECO | 187 x 35800? x 26.5 | |
| 1815 | Yo-yo despin | ||
| 1815:31 | T+30:31m St 3 sep | ||
| 2001 May 20? | AKM burn | ||
| 2010 Jan 1 | 1436.12 35653 x 35920 x 3.0 GEO 99.9E | ||
Monday, November 22, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
USA-116
1995-066A
The USA 116 spacecraft was launched on 1995 Dec 5 by a Titan 4 with a 57 foot payload fairing. Launch occurred 22 min before the USA 86 spacecraft passed over Vandenberg, leading to speculation that USA 116 was replacing the older satellite. An ITAR-TASS report quoted Russian Defense Ministry sources as saying that the satellite was an advanced Keyhole type spacecraft and gave the initial orbit. The satellite flew in a 1258 LTDN SSO, the east plane orbit.
| USA 116 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 Dec 5 | 2118:00 | Launch by Titan 4 | V SLC4E |
| 2120? | T+2:00 St 1 MES | ||
| 2120? | T+2:04 SRM sep | ||
| 2121? | T+3:59 Fairing | ||
| 2123? | T+5:09 St 2 MES | ||
| 2123? | T+5:10 St 1 sep | ||
| 2126? | T+8:50 St 2 MECO | ||
| 2127? | T+8:59 Titan 4 stage 2 sep | ||
| 97.3 265 x 1006 x 97.8 (UN) | |||
| 95.7 156 x 976 x 98.7 | |||
| Raise perigee | |||
| 1996 Jun 15 | 97.59 263 x 1023 x 97.87 | ||
| 1997 Jun 17 | 97.61 255 x 1032 x 97.9 | ||
| 1998 Jul 24 | 97.35 259 x 1004 x 97.93 | ||
| 1998 Sep 9 | 97.44 281 x 991 x 97.93 | ||
| 1999 Mar 22 | 97.37 320 x 944 x 97.9 | ||
| 1999 Jul 10 | 97.18 324 x 922 x 97.9 | ||
| 2000 Sep 4 | 97.34 319 x 943 x 97.9 | ||
| 2001 Aug 22 | 97.48 318 x 958 x 97.9 | ||
| 2001 Sep 4 | 97.34 317 x 955 x 97.9 | ||
| 2005 Mar 20 | 96.82 410 x 802 x 97.8 | ||
| 2007 Jan 22 | 96.73 403 x 800 x 97.2 | ||
| 2007 Apr | Raise apogee | ||
| 2007 May 20 | 97.13 405 x 837 x 97.2 | ||
| 2007 Nov 29 | 97.12 396 x 844 x 97.8 | ||
| 2008 May 6 | 97.11 401 x 839 x 97.9 | ||