Atlas launches spysats, places them in wrong orbit
Posted: Fri, Jun 15, 2007, 9:43 PM ET (0143 GMT)
An Atlas 5 lifted off Friday morning carrying two classified satellites, but apparently placed the spacecraft in the wrong orbit. The Atlas 5 401 lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 11:12 am EDT (1512 GMT) carrying a classified payload officially only known as NROL-30. According to initial reports the launch went well and the payload, believed to be two naval reconnaissance satellites, separated from the Centaur upper stage as planned. However, late Friday the Air Force announced that there had been "a technical anomaly", which Aviation Week reported to be a premature shutdown of the Centaur. That problem meant that the two satellites were placed in the wrong orbit, but are otherwise functioning well and may be able to boost themselves into their correct orbit using their onboard thrusters. The cause of the problem has yet to be determined.
An Atlas 5 lifted off Friday morning carrying two classified satellites, but apparently placed the spacecraft in the wrong orbit. The Atlas 5 401 lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 11:12 am EDT (1512 GMT) carrying a classified payload officially only known as NROL-30. According to initial reports the launch went well and the payload, believed to be two naval reconnaissance satellites, separated from the Centaur upper stage as planned. However, late Friday the Air Force announced that there had been "a technical anomaly", which Aviation Week reported to be a premature shutdown of the Centaur. That problem meant that the two satellites were placed in the wrong orbit, but are otherwise functioning well and may be able to boost themselves into their correct orbit using their onboard thrusters. The cause of the problem has yet to be determined.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, June 2
Paralympian John McFall takes another stride to his space dream
The Times of London — 6:21 am ET (1021 GMT) Astronaut with physical disability could be first to enter orbit after ground-breaking agreement
UK Space Agency — 6:21 am ET (1021 GMT) ESA joins agreement to strengthen global geodesy supply chain
ESA — 6:21 am ET (1021 GMT) Starlink Director meets Communication Minister, seeks 100% ownership license for Nepal launch
Nepal News — 6:21 am ET (1021 GMT) Space Force Instagram account hijacked with Iranian propaganda
Washington Examiner — 6:19 am ET (1019 GMT) |
