USA-224

USA-224

Patch related to the NROL-49 launch, with Latin motto "Better the devil that you know..."
Operator	US NRO
Major contractors	Lockheed Martin
Bus	KH-11
Mission type	Optical imaging
Launch date	20 January 2011
Carrier rocket	Delta IV Heavy D352
Launch site	Vandenberg SLC-6
COSPAR ID	2011-002A
Orbital elements
Regime	Low Earth
Inclination	97.93 degree[1]
Apoapsis	987 km (613 mi)[1]
Periapsis	260 km (160 mi)[1]

USA-224, also known as NRO Launch 49 (NRO L-49), is an American reconnaissance satellite which was launched in 2011. It is a KH-11 optical imaging satellite, the fifteenth such spacecraft to be launched, and intended as a replacement of the USA-161 satellite launched in 2001.

The launch of USA-224

After the failure of the Boeing led Future Imagery Architecture program in 2005, NRO ordered two additional legacy hardware KH-11s. USA-224 - the first of these two - was completed by Lockheed US $ 2 billion under the initial budget estimate, and two years ahead of schedule.^[2] USA-224 was launched atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket from Space Launch Complex 6 at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The launch was conducted by United Launch Alliance, and was the first flight of a Delta IV Heavy from Vandenberg.^[3] Liftoff occurred on January 20, 2011 at 21:10:30 UTC.^[4] Upon reaching orbit, the satellite received the International Designator 2011-002A.^[5] The early launch of USA-224, and operational changes to extend the lifetime of its predecessor USA-161, reduced the coverage gap caused by the end of the primary mission of USA-161 to just 33 days.^[2]

The fifteenth KH-11 satellite to be launched, USA-224 is a member of one of the later block configurations occasionally identified as being a separate system. Details of its mission and orbit are classified, however amateur observers have identified it as being in a Low Earth orbit with a perigee of 251 kilometres (156 mi), an apogee of 1,023 kilometres (636 mi) and 97.9 degrees of inclination, typical for an operational KH-11 satellite.^[6]

See also

• List of NRO Launches
• 2011 in spaceflight

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Molczan, Ted (2011-04-27). "NROL-34: NOSS 3-5 elements". http://www.satobs.org/seesat. http://www.satobs.org/seesat/Apr-2011/0337.html. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "10 Who Made a Difference in Space: Bruce Carlson, NRO Director". Space News / NRO. 2011-09-07. http://www.nro.gov/news/articles/2011/2011-01.pdf. 
3. ^ Ray, Justin (19 January 2011). "Delta 4-Heavy ready to serve nation from West Coast pad". Spaceflight Now. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d352/padmods/. Retrieved 22 January 2011. 
4. ^ Ray, Justin. "Mission Status Center". Delta Launch Report. Spaceflight Now. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d352/status.html. 
5. ^ Christy, Robert. "Space events - 2011". Zarya. http://www.zarya.info/Diaries/2011.php. Retrieved 22 January 2011. 
6. ^ Molczan, Ted (21 January 2011). "RE: NROL-49 search elements". SeeSat-L. http://www.satobs.org/seesat/Jan-2011/0195.html. Retrieved 22 January 2011.