USA-224
Encyclopedia
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.
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.
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. Liftoff occurred on January 20, 2011 at 21:10:30 UTC. Upon reaching orbit, the satellite received the International Designator
2011-002A. 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.
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 1023 kilometres (635.7 mi) and 97.9 degrees of inclination
, typical for an operational KH-11 satellite.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
reconnaissance satellite which was launched in 2011. It is a KH-11
KH-11
The KH-11 KENNAN, renamed CRYSTAL in 1982 and also referenced by the codenames 1010, and "Key Hole", is a type of reconnaissance satellite launched by the American National Reconnaissance Office since December 1976...
optical imaging satellite, the fifteenth such spacecraft to be launched, and intended as a replacement of the USA-161 satellite launched in 2001.
After the failure of the Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
led Future Imagery Architecture
Future Imagery Architecture
Future Imagery Architecture was a program to design a new generation of optical and radar imaging US reconnaissance satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office . In 2005 NRO director Donald Kerr recommended the project's termination, and the optical component of the program was finally...
program in 2005, NRO ordered two additional legacy hardware KH-11s. USA-224 - the first of these two - was completed by Lockheed
Lockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
US $ 2 billion under the initial budget estimate, and two years ahead of schedule.
USA-224 was launched atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket from Space Launch Complex 6
Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 6
Space Launch Complex-6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California is a launch pad and support area. It was originally designed for the launching of the Titan III in support of the cancelled Manned Orbiting Laboratory, and was later rebuilt for the Space Shuttle, which also never used it due to...
at the Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command ....
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The launch was conducted by United Launch Alliance
United Launch Alliance
United Launch Alliance is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing. ULA was formed in December 2006 by combining the teams at these companies which provide spacecraft launch services to the government of the United States. U.S...
, and was the first flight of a Delta IV Heavy from Vandenberg. Liftoff occurred on January 20, 2011 at 21:10:30 UTC. Upon reaching orbit, the satellite received the International Designator
International Designator
The International Designator, also known as COSPAR designation, and in the United States as NSSDC ID, is an international naming convention for satellites...
2011-002A. 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.
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
Satellite watching
Satellite watching or satellite spotting is a hobby which consists of the observation and tracking of Earth artificial satellites. People with this hobby are variously called satellite watchers, trackers, spotters, observers, etc....
have identified it as being in a Low Earth orbit
Low Earth orbit
A low Earth orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km...
with a perigee
Apsis
An apsis , plural apsides , is the point of greatest or least distance of a body from one of the foci of its elliptical orbit. In modern celestial mechanics this focus is also the center of attraction, which is usually the center of mass of the system...
of 251 kilometres (156 mi), an apogee
Apsis
An apsis , plural apsides , is the point of greatest or least distance of a body from one of the foci of its elliptical orbit. In modern celestial mechanics this focus is also the center of attraction, which is usually the center of mass of the system...
of 1023 kilometres (635.7 mi) and 97.9 degrees of inclination
Inclination
Inclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or axis of direction.-Orbits:The inclination is one of the six orbital parameters describing the shape and orientation of a celestial orbit...
, typical for an operational KH-11 satellite.