National Reconnaissance Office Launches Rocket… But It Won‘t Let Us Know What’s On It
- Posted on April 4, 2012 at 8:32am by
Liz Klimas
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(Photo: U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Andrew Satran via Space.com)
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (The Blaze/AP) — A rocket carrying a top-secret payload blasted off Tuesday from the California coast.
The Delta IV rocket lifted off at 4:12 p.m. from the Vandenberg Air Force Base, about 130 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
“We’ve just seen the successful liftoff” of the rocket, launch commentator Don Spencer said in a webcast.
(Photo: U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Andrew Satran via Space.com)
Since the launch involved a classified cargo for the National Reconnaissance Office, no details were immediately available about whether it was boosted to its intended orbit.
The reconnaissance office, which oversees the nation’s constellation of spy satellites, has kept mum about the purpose of the mission and directed United Launch Alliance to cut off the live broadcast three minutes after liftoff.
Intelligence analysts think the rocket carried a radar imaging satellite capable of seeing at night and through bad weather. In recent years, the United States has worked to phase out its fleet of older, heavier radar reconnaissance satellites with smaller but equally capable ones, said Charles Vick, a space policy analyst with the Globalsecurity.org think tank.
Such radar satellites would be able to zero in on countries of interest and see details that typical Earth satellites can’t, experts said.
Tuesday’s launch involved reconfiguring the rocket to add on two strap-on boosters to provide more thrust. The protective nose cone enclosing the payload also had to be made larger.
(Photo: U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Andrew Satran via Space.com)
ULA, the joint venture of rocket builders Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing Co., said it was the first time the Delta IV had been launched this way.
The launch was delayed nearly a week as engineers worked to fix an issue with the upper stage engine.
Space.com explains this launch was the first of four spy satellite missions it plans to launch within five months. In 2011, the office launched six reconnaissance spacecraft in seven months, according to Space.com. Here’s a bit more on the missions:
“Our ability to sustain such high tempo is due both to the diligent efforts of our program teams who successfully acquire and deliver these complex systems on time, and our strong partnerships with the Air Force launch community,” said Betty Sapp, NRO deputy principal director, before the launch during testimony before a House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on March 8. “These successful launches are a very important and visible reminder of the space reconnaissance mission the NRO started over 50 years ago, and continues with such great success today.”
The next launch out of Vandenberg will be a flight test of the Minuteman III on April 10.
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Robert Hawk
Posted on April 7, 2012 at 11:57amIts not a manned space flight, so they are not bringing anything back, therefore what ever is on that rocket is meant to stay in space, supposedly to orbit the planet and provide benefit to the reconnaissance activities of the United States government which would include visual and audible observation capabilities. Truth be know we are simply just catching up with intelligence satellites of other nations.
Report Post »Thats about all we can ascertain from this mission and information other than the fact it was a successful launch.
LorDarKnight
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 3:54amAm I the only one wondering why a top secret launch for the NRO is being plastered all over the internet, pictures and all? As a military member, we are constantly talked to about OPSEC, (Operational Security). One of the reasons we find ourselves in the position of greatest super power, and winner of the cold war, was the ability to keep national secrets just that; secret! You don’t see the Chinese or the Russians hanging thier laundry out to dry for the whole world to see.
Report Post »christos
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 5:52pm…it’s payload is a virus as is a reflection/image of themselves,they actually think they can beat +JESUS+GOD+
Report Post »christos
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 5:49pm,,,the payload is a bio molecular carbon copy of their knowledge tree,,,A Large Twinkie..
Report Post »Arshloch
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 4:21pmDon’t act stupid, read 1984 and refresh your memory to see what’s on board. BIG BRO is watching you !
Report Post »Bobgood1
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 4:15pmIt sounds like a routine launch. Not everything is a conspiracy. Simple story.
Report Post »JOHNNYROTEN
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 2:10pmhope they don’t tell hussein o, he will just blab it about and apologize around the world
Report Post »dmerwin
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 2:05pmIf this does anything to enhance national security I will crap my pants in surprise.
Report Post »dmerwin
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 1:51pmMy guess is that the payload is what is left of Nancy Pelosi’s ability to reason.
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 12:21pma very small payload indeed………..
Report Post »Marsh626
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 1:03pmParanoid conspiracy theorists assemble!
Report Post »marybethelizabeth
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 10:42amThe reports that this missile was a Nation of Islam weapon designed to “take out” Mr. Beck are not true. The Nation of Islam does not have that kind of money.
But where is Mr. Beck? Why isn’t he on the radio? Did the Nation of Islam succeed using other means to murder Mr. Beck like he predicted they would do last month?
And with Mr. Beck’s demise, does that mean the new civil rights movement for white people that Mr. Beck called for on February 16th has been crushed?
Report Post »Ruler4You
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 12:19pmShh! It’s NSA pirate satellite TV.
Keep it on the down low…
Report Post »DesertDave54
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 2:42pmMr. Beck IS the payload! Why do you think they needed extra boosters? Lordy, it must have been top heavy! So… Glenn will make a 90 minute, polar orbit trip. Hopefully he wears something bright- the sun will catch it and I’ll be able to see him with my telescope!
Report Post »zerovizdvr
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 10:00amWere these closely audited budgeted items? How much has this cost we the people>taxpayers… & what is the return on this investment?
Report Post »marybethelizabeth
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 9:50amAfraid that somehow Mr. Beck’s plan to defeat the worldwide caliphate by storing food will succeed, the government has launched a missile that will sprinkle enough magic caliphate dust to cover the entire globe.
The communists are right now scattering throughout the world with magic watering cans they got from code pink to make the caliphate dust grow.
Report Post »dmerwin
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 1:52pmNow that is funny. I don’t care what side you are on.
Report Post »Evil_Conservative
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 9:36amDont be paranoid. It is just a next gen spy satillite. the US has maintained a fleet of them for decades.
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 9:13amDon‘t worry folks I’m sure it‘s for our ’protection’,remember there’s a terrorist on every corner and if you want to know the type of person the DHS is looking for grab a mirror.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 10:05amHopefully it will still be active when we get a POTUS more interested in spying on our country‘s enemies than it’s citizens.
Report Post »G-WHIZ
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 10:14am…and the ghostly reflection of BHO is always in the background… .
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 9:11amSo who are they watching now, here at home or abroad and at home?
Report Post »Tri-ox
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 9:09amGreat – now we‘ll never get to see obama’s Kenyan birth certificate.
Report Post »Exrepublisheep
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 1:58pmLol!
Report Post »Randy
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 9:05amIf they allowed the video to continue it may show the trajectory of its intended orbit, which was probably ………. showoowrrrr………..beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee……………………..
Report Post »Abraham Young
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 9:05amIf you zoom in on the image it has a logo on the side that reads, “Made in China”.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 10:03amCertainly paid for by China anyway.
Report Post »Itsjusttim
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 9:03amTechnology is no more smart than the people using it. Show an image to many different people and you will get many different interpretations, and now a days most people will over-look important aspects. It’s like a landslide of mud coming down.
Report Post »Itsjusttim
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 8:55amToo bad that when God dumbs almost everyone down they will forget how to use it.
Report Post »nzkiwi
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 9:05amUse what?
Report Post »nzkiwi
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 9:08amOh, just saw your next post. Sorry.
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 8:53am.
Shhhhhhhhhhh I thought I saw a Top Secret rocket launch…………….
And NASA can’t launch a paper plane…………
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 9:10amNo, and here is what NASA will do tomorrow:
NASA, in cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration, will conduct training and photographic flights on Thursday, April 5, over the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
Why are they conducting training and photographic flights over DC?
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 9:27amWhy are they conducting training and photographic flights over DC?
To get a group photo of all the traitors.
Report Post »kickagrandma
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 8:48amWhy mention it if it is “top secret”? With this administration, this is hardly good news, folks…..
Report Post »chips1
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 8:45amDon’t forget to look up and wave as it passes over. Smile, your on Candid Camera.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 8:39am“National Reconnaissance Office Launches Rocket… But It Won‘t Let Us Know What’s On It”
Report Post »Yea, that’s kind of the whole point of top secret.
chewfatlip
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 8:48amThe Russians aren’t worried. If barry wins re-election, he will brief Putin all about it.
Report Post »TXPilot
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 8:49amJust the latest piece of “Skynet” to be put into service……move along, nothing at all to see here folks……..:(
Report Post »jim1964
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 9:54amUUUh NO ********!
Report Post »do_it_all_again
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 11:54pmjust what we’ve been needing,,,,,, strap-on boosters, for more thrust, and an enlarged protective nose cone for a larger payload !!
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