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NROL-9 (Misty 2)

Titan 404BUnited States Air ForceSpace Launch Complex 4E
Saturday, May 22, 1999 · 09:36 AM UTCAdd to Calendar

This mission is complete.

Vehicle

Titan 404B

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Vehicle details are not available yet.

HeightN/A
LEO PayloadN/A
Launches1078
Successes972

Provider

United States Air Force

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Provider details are not available yet.

Mission Brief

This satellite is suspected to be a stealthy electro-optical reconnaissance satellite. The program name for developing an stealth IMINT capability is reportedly "Misty". Hobbyist satellite observers continue to track an object from that launch in a 2700 km × 3100 km, 63.4° orbit, but detailed orbital analysis reveals significant solar radiation pressure perturbations, from an area to mass ratio of about 0.1 m2/kg, 10 to 20 times that of a payload, and more akin to debris or a decoy, can be deduced. It appears to be no more than 5 to 10 m across, and only a few hundred kilograms in mass. If USA 144 is Misty-2, then it is likely to be in a 700 to 800 km, quasi 65° orbit. These orbits are low-drag, so orbit maintenance manoeuvres are not required.

PayloadNROL-9 (Misty 2)
OrbitLow Earth Orbit
CustomerUnited States Air Force
Stages0
PadSpace Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Mission Timeline

14 / 14100%
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Launch Site

Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

LAUNCH SITE
34.632°N, 120.611°W

Schedule History

No delays or schedule changes recorded.