* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

NRO_L-21 Launch

Blobrana · L

An out-of-control US spy satellite will crash to Earth in the coming months, government officials say. The satellite is large enough that remnants are likely to survive atmospheric re-entry and strike the Earth, sometime in late February or early March...

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Blobrana · L

RE: Spy satellite re-entry

Blobrana · L

At last i managed to get accurate figures.

Dimensions: 10 m x 2 m, cylindrical

Expand (66kb, 630 x 390)

NROL-21
Date 29th January 2008
Inclination 58.50°
Period 90 min
Perigee 271 km
Apogee 275.1 km

TLE Data

USA 193         
1 29651U 06057A   08029.20616274  .00116763  62921-5  21709-3 0 90001
2 29651  58.5242 129.2765 0003113  64.4978 295.5344 16.00486314  1117

Visually the satellite will be about magnitude 5. The satellite design is not known, but it is considered to be a long 10 x 2 metre cylinder, with the solar arrays arranged along the side. The satellite computer lost control shortly after launch. so the antennas or extending (?) solar panels etc, could not have been deployed.

-- Edited by Blobrana at 07:00, 2008-01-29

Blobrana · L

UPDATE:
At the time of launch the orbit was probably 351 x 365 km x 58 degrees; and due to atmospheric drag, it is currently it is about 269 x 273 km x 58 degrees.
The orbit is degrading about one kilometre per day: That rate will increase until it will chaotically re-enter the atmosphere.
The size of he satellite has been reported as being similar to a small armoured bus.

Blobrana · L

It seems it is the NRO_L-21 reconnaissance satellite...

Since it was launched, the experimental satellite has been in a slowly decaying orbit. As of Jan. 22, it was moving in a circular orbit at about 275 kilometres above the Earth. In the last month, its orbit has declined by 15 to 20 kilometres.

Source

Blobrana · L

The spy satellite is probably an NRO_L-21 experimental reconnaissance satellite built by Lockheed Martin and launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California in December 2006 aboard a Delta II rocket. Ground controllers lost control of the satellite shortly after the satellite reached orbit.

There is also a smaller possibility that it is the NRO L-30 reconnaissance satellite, which could have ran out of fuel and began tumbling out of control.

Blobrana · L

A "large" US spy satellite has gone out of control and is expected to crash to Earth some time in late February or March, government sources say.
Officials speaking on condition of anonymity said the satellite had lost power and propulsion, and could contain hazardous materials.
The White House said it was monitoring the situation.

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Blobrana · L

RE: NRO_L-21 Launch

Blobrana · L

US spy satellite