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Atlas V NROL-61 Rocket Cam

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NROL-61

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Overview

Destination: Geostationary Transfer Orbit
Mission: Government/Top Secret

Geostationary Transfer Orbit Space Launch Complex 41 Cape Canaveral, FL, USA Probability: 80%

Classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office.

Atlas V 421

Family: Atlas
Configuration: 421

Atlas V is an expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family. It was formerly operated by Lockheed Martin and is now operated by United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture with Boeing. Each Atlas V rocket uses a Russian-built RD-180 engine burning kerosene and liquid oxygen to power its first stage and an American-built RL10 engine burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to power its Centaur upper stage. The RD-180 engines are provided by RD Amross, while Aerojet Rocketdyne provides both the RL10 engines and the strap-on boosters used in some configurations. The 421 version uses a 4m wide fairing, 2 solid rocket boosters and one engine on the Centaur stage.

See Atlas Details
Specifications
  • Max Stage
    2
  • Length
    58.3 m
  • Diameter
    3.8 m
  • Fairing Diameter
  • Launch Mass
    433 T
  • Thrust
Family
  • Name
    Atlas V 421
  • Family
    Atlas
  • Variant
    421
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Atlas V 421
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $123000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    14067 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    6890 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

United Launch Alliance

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CEO: Tory Bruno Founded: 2006 Successes: 156 Failures: 0 Pending: 38

Agency Type: Commercial

United Launch Alliance (ULA) is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Space Systems and Boeing Defense, Space & Security. 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. ULA launches from both coasts of the US. They launch their Atlas V vehicle from LC-41 in Cape Canaveral and LC-3E at Vandeberg. Their Delta IV launches from LC-37 at Cape Canaveral and LC-6 at Vandenberg.

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Cape Canaveral, FL, USA

Space Launch Complex 41


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