List of NRO Launches

This is a list of NRO Launch (NROL) designations, used to identify classified satellites operated by the United States National Reconnaissance Office.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Launch Designation	Launch Name	Satellite Designation	Launch Date/Time (GMT)	Launch Site	Rocket	Orbit	Project	Function	Status	Patch	Remarks
L-1	Nemesis[1]	USA-179[1]	2004-08-31, 23:17[2]	CCAFS SLC-36A[2]	Atlas IIAS[2]	Molniya	SDS-3[1]	Communications[2]	Active
L-2		USA-129	1996-12-20	VAFB SLC-4E	Titan IV	LEO	Improved Crystal	Optical imaging
L-3		USA-133	1997-10-24	VAFB SLC-4E	Titan IV	LEO	Lacrosse	ELINT	Active
L-4	Oscar	USA-136	1997-11-08	CCAFS LC-41	Titan IV	Molniya	Trumpet	ELINT	Active
L-5	Capricorn[1]	USA-137[1]	1998-01-29, 18:37	CCAFS SLC-36A	Atlas IIA	Molniya	SDS-3[1]	Communications	Active
L-6	Jack	USA-139[3]	1998-05-09	CCAFS SLC-40	Titan IV/Centaur	GSO	Mentor	ELINT
L-7	Elwood	N/A	1998-08-12	CCAFS SLC-41	Titan IV/Centaur	GSO (planned)	Mercury	ELINT	Failed: 1998-08-12	"On a Mission from DoD"	Rocket self destructed 40s into launch due to guidance problem[4]
L-8		None	1998-10-03	VAFB LC-576E	Taurus 1110	LEO	STEX	Technology			ATEX experiment jettisoned on 1999-01-16 and catalogued as USA-141
L-9		USA-144[1]	1999-05-22, 09:36[5]	VAFB SLC-4E[5]	Titan IV-B[5]		EIS-1 (8X Enhanced Imaging System)[1]	Optical imaging[1]			First Titan IV-B launch from VAFB
L-10	Great Bear[1]	USA-155[1]	2000-12-06, 02:47[2]	CCAFS SLC-36A[2]	Atlas IIAS[2]	GSO[2]	SDS-3[1]	Communications[2]	Active
L-11		USA-152	2000-08-17, 23:45	VAFB SLC-4E	Titan IVB	LEO	Lacrosse (Onyx) 4	Lacrosse (Onyx)	Active
L-12	Aquila[1]	USA-162[1]	2001-10-11, 02:32[2]	CCAFS SLC-36B[2]	Atlas IIAS[2]	GSO[2]	SDS-3[1]	Communications	Active
L-13	Gemini[1]	USA-160[1]	2001-09-08, 15:25	VAFB SLC-3E[2]	Atlas IIAS[2]	LEO[2]	NOSS-3[1]	Naval reconnaissance[2]	Active		2 satellites[2]
L-14		USA-161	2001-10-05	VAFB SLC-4E	Titan IVB	LEO	Improved Crystal	Optical reconnaissance	Active
L-15		TBD	2012 June (target date)[6]	CCAFS SLC-37B	Delta IV Heavy				Awaiting launch
L-16	Prometheus	USA-182[3]	2005-04-30, 00:50[7]	CCAFS SLC-40	Titan IVB	LEO	Lacrosse	Radar imaging	Active
L-17	GeoLITE[1]	USA-158[1]	2001-05-18, 17:45[8]	CCAFS SLC-17B[8]	Delta II 7925-9.5[8]	GSO[8]	GeoLITE[1]	Technology demonstration[8]	Active
L-18	Libra[1]	USA-173[1]	2003-12-02, 10:04[2]	VAFB SLC-3E[2]	Atlas IIAS[2]	LEO[2]	NOSS-3[1]	Naval reconnaissance[2]	Active		2 satellites[2]
L-19	Homer[9]	USA-171[3]	2003-09-09, 04:29[10]	CCAFS SLC-40	Titan IVB/Centaur	GSO	Advanced Orion	ELINT	Active
L-20		USA-186[3]	2005-10-19, 18:04.[11]	VAFB SLC-4E	Titan IVB	LEO	Improved Crystal	Optical imaging	Active
L-21		USA-193[1]	2006-12-14, 21:00[8]	VAFB SLC-2W[8]	Delta II 7920-10[8]	LEO[8]	Unknown	Unknown	Failed		Failed immediately after launch. Destroyed by ASAT on 2008-02-21.
L-22		USA-184[1]	2006-06-27, 03:30	VAFB SLC-6	Delta IVM+(4,2)	Molniya	Trumpet-2[1]	ELINT	Active
L-23	Canis Minor[1]	USA-181[1]	2005-02-03, 07:41	CCAFS SLC-36B	Atlas IIIB	LEO	NOSS-3[1]	Naval reconnaissance	Active		2 satellites
L-24	Scorpius[1]	USA-198[1]	2007-12-10, 22:05	CCAFS SLC-41	Atlas V 401	Molniya	SDS-3[1]	Communications	Active
L-25	Altair		NET 2011	VAFB SLC-6	Delta IVM+(4,2)	LEO	NOSS-3	Naval intelligence	Awaiting launch
L-26		USA-202	2009-01-18, 02:47	CCAFS SLC-37B	Delta IV Heavy	GSO	Advanced Orion	ELINT	Active
L-27	Gryphon[9]	USA-227	2011-03-11, 23:38	CCAFS SLC-37B	Delta IVM+(4,2)	GSO	SDS-3	Communications	Active
L-28		USA-200	2008-03-13, 10:02	VAFB SLC-3E	Atlas V 411	Molniya	Trumpet-2	ELINT	Active
L-29				VAFB SLC-3E	Atlas V				Awaiting launch
L-30	Pyxis[1]	USA-194[1]	2007-06-15, 15:11	CCAFS SLC-41	Atlas V 401[1]	LEO	NOSS-3[1]	Naval reconnaissance	Active		2 satellites Premature 2nd stage cutoff during launch. Lifetime reduced by need to correct orbit
L-32[12]		USA-223	2010-11-21, 22:58[13]	CCAFS SLC-37B	Delta IV Heavy	GSO	Advanced Orion[14]	ELINT	Launched
L-34	Odin[15]	USA-229	2011-04-15	VAFB SLC-3E[13]	Atlas V 411[13]	LEO	NOSS-3-5		Launched[16]		Naval reconnaissance
L-35		TBD	NET 2013	VAFB SLC-3E	Atlas V 531				Awaiting launch
L-36		TBD	NET 2012	VAFB SLC-3E	Atlas V 411				Awaiting launch
L-37		TBD	NET 2015		Delta-IV Heavy				Awaiting launch
L-38		TBD	NET 2011		Intermediate (EELV)				Awaiting launch
L-39		TBD	NET 2011		Intermediate (EELV)				Awaiting launch
L-41[12]	Gladys[9]	USA-215[1]	2010-09-21 04:03:30[13]	VAFB SLC-3E	Atlas V 501	LEO 1058 x 1072 km[17]	FIA Radar 1		Launched, reported successful		Retrograde orbit[18]
L-45		TBD	NET 2012		Intermediate (EELV)				Awaiting launch
L-49[12]	Betty[9]	USA-224	2011-01-20 21:10[19]	VAFB SLC-6	Delta IV Heavy	LEO 239 x 1005 km[20]	Improved Crystal[19]		Launched
L-55		TBD	NET 2014	VAFB SLC-3E	Atlas V 401				Awaiting launch
L-66[21]		USA-225	2011-02-06 12:26 UTC	VAFB SLC-8	Minotaur I	LEO	Rapid Pathfinder Program		Launched

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al} Steven Pietrobon's Space Archive – US Military Launch Record. None. Retrieved on September 15, 2011.
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x} Encyclopedia Astronautica – Atlas IIAS. Astronautix.com. Retrieved on September 15, 2011.
3. ^ ^{a b c d} NRO codenames. Forum.nasaspaceflight.com. Retrieved on September 15, 2011.
4. ^ National Reconnaissance Office Satellite Destroyed August 19, 1998
5. ^ ^{a b c} National Reconnaissance Satellite Successfully Launched May 22, 1999
6. ^ Spaceflight Now: Worldwide launch schedule. Spaceflightnow.com. Retrieved on October 3, 2011.
7. ^ NRO Successfully Launches Last Titan from Cape Canaveral April 29, 2005
8. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} Encyclopedia Astronautica – Delta 7000^{[dead link]}
9. ^ ^{a b c d} "Re: NROL codenames". nasaspaceflight.com. 2011-01-22. http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=11127.msg683562#msg683562. 
10. ^ NRO SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES PAYLOAD FROM TITAN IV September 10, 2003
11. ^ NRO Payload Takes Last Ride Aboard Titan IV October 20, 2005
12. ^ ^{a b c} Spaceflight Now: Worldwide launch schedule. Spaceflightnow.com. Retrieved on September 15, 2011.
13. ^ ^{a b c d} Atlas Launch Report | Mission Status Center. Spaceflight Now. Retrieved on September 15, 2011.
14. ^ Delta IV Heavy launches with NROL-32. NASASpaceFlight.com (2010-11-21). Retrieved on September 15, 2011.
15. ^ :::: United Launch Alliance, LLC ::::. Ulalaunch.com. Retrieved on September 15, 2011.
16. ^ [1]^{[dead link]}
17. ^ Molczan, Ted (2010-09-22). "NROL 41". http://www.satobs.org/seesat. http://www.satobs.org/seesat/Sep-2010/0241.html. Retrieved 2010-10-02. 
18. ^ Barhorst, Leo (2010-10-01). "Reason for FIA Radar 1/USA 215 retrograde orbit?". http://www.satobs.org/seesat. http://www.satobs.org/seesat/Oct-2010/0009.html. Retrieved 2010-10-02. 
19. ^ ^{a b} Graham, William (2011-01-20). "Delta IV Heavy launches on debut West Coast launch with NRO L-49". nasaspaceflight.com. http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/01/live-delta-iv-heavy-launch-nro-l-49/. Retrieved 2011-01-21. 
20. ^ Molczan, Ted (2011-01-22). "RE: NROL-49 search elements". http://www.satobs.org/seesat. http://satobs.org/seesat/Jan-2011/0203.html. 
21. ^ Graham, William (2011-02-06). "Orbital’s Minotaur I launches with NROL-66". nasaspaceflight.com. http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/02/live-orbitals-minotaur-i-californian-launch-nrol-66/. 

External links

• National Security Space Launch Report: The Current NSS Launch Manifest, 2001–2020 (page 83)