Status
Success
Rocket
Mission Details
NOSS-3 5A & 5B (USA-229) (NROL-34)
NOSS-3 (Naval Ocean Surveillance System), which is likely not the official designation, is the third generation of NOSS satellites, which are low orbit SIGINT satellites. In 2013, the designation Intruder leaked out. These satellites carry equipment to track ships and aircraft via their radio transmissions. Positions of the origin of the transmissions are determined by triangulation. Each launch consists of two satellites of similar size in the same orbit. Both satellites maneuver to stationkeep relative to one another.
Payloads: 2
Low Earth Orbit
Location
SLC-3E, Vandenberg SFB, California, USA
Stats
2011
15th orbital launch attempt
United Launch Alliance
49th mission
4th mission of 2011
48th successful mission
44th consecutive successful mission
Atlas V
25th mission
2nd mission of 2011
24th successful mission
15th consecutive successful mission