Largest Ever West Coast Rocket Launch Carried National Reconnaissance Office Satellite Into Space
January 21st, 2011Update: Some Guesses Mentioned on CNN
Just to clarify what’s being said below: It’s not a KH-11, which hasn’t been produced since 1990.
See the Wikipedia page for “KH-12”:
“KH-12” is an unofficial designation of the successor to the KH-11 KENNAN (“Crystal”) spy satellite. A system with the official designation KH-12 does not exist because the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) decided to refer to satellites by a random numbering scheme after repeated public references to KH-8 GAMBIT, KH-9 HEXAGON, and KH-11 satellites.
Via: CNN:
But some analysts say they believe the orbiter will be an imagery satellite capable of seeing images as small as a human fist from hundreds of miles away.
“It will be used to produce high-resolution imagery of military and terrorist facilities around the world,” said Jeffrey Richelson, an expert on space reconnaissance with the National Security Archive.
According to experts, the satellite, known as a KH-11, is not capable of reading a license plate number or a newspaper headline, as seen in Hollywood movies. But due to its large size and bigger optics, the satellite has advanced resolution that can see much finer detail on the ground than anything similar.
“Being able to see things four inches across has tremendous value. If you’re trying to assess what’s the capability of a new missile on a launch pad in North Korea — could it reach the U.S. for example — if you could see that rocket with enough precision, enough detail to get accurate dimensions, you can then determine what its capabilities are,” said Ted Molczan, an amateur astronomer who specializes in tracking satellites in secret orbits.
Molczan said there are currently 3 KH-11s in orbit and he believes the purpose of this launch is to replace one that has been in orbit since 2001.
—End Update—
Via: AP:
The largest rocket ever launched from the West Coast blasted off Thursday with a classified defense satellite on board.
The 235-foot-tall Delta IV Heavy Launch Vehicle lifted off at 1:10 p.m. carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office.
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United Launch Alliance, the joint venture of rocket builders Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing Co., said in a statement that the launch was a success.
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No payload details were released. The NRO operates satellites that provide information to the Central Intelligence Agency and Department of Defense.
Possibly Related: Unknown Budget, Unknown Purpose: U.S. Air Force X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle
Research Credit: eo
off the topic of the rocket, but on the topic of Vandenburg launches – there is an interesting California state park adjacent to the Air Force Base called Point Sal, which is very difficult to get to.
The sandy road washed out 12 years ago, and Vandenburg closes it often, among other reasons, possibly because attorney Katja Komisaruk once walked on to the base and into a building and started smashing computers with a hammer. http://wikimapia.org/#lat=34.8831146&lon=-120.603447&z=13&l=0&m=b
It is 5 miles to a very beautiful, empty beach, and they even restrict mountain bicycles. Locals and birdwatchers kept up the fight for continued access, and they should because a lot of the rest of the coastline is unaccessible too. http://www.google.com/images?q=point+sal&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1066&bih=839