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Naval Ocean Surveillance System
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<h2 id="satellites">Satellites</h2> <table><tbody><tr><th>Name</th><th><a href="/facts/International_Designator/AwfuQFUY">ID</a></th><th>Launch date</th><th>Launch vehicle</th><th>Launch site</th><th><a href="/facts/List_of_NRO_Launches/cr5CUmIT">NROL designation</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Perigee/VaL6ow9w">Perigee</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Apogee/VaL6ow9w">Apogee</a></th><th>Inclination</th><th>Remarks</th></tr><tr><td colspan="10"><h3>First generation (Parcae)</h3></td></tr><tr><td>OPS 6431 SSU-1</td><td>1976-038C</td><td rowspan="3">30 April 1976</td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Atlas_E%2fF/KnI32kNm">Atlas E/F</a>-MSD</td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Air_Force_Base/CHNed3F4">VAFB</a>, <a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Space_Launch_Complex_3/ocbesEHR">SLC-3W</a></td><td rowspan="27">N/A</td><td rowspan="3">1,092 km</td><td rowspan="3">1,128 km</td><td rowspan="3">63.5°</td><td rowspan="3">Dispenser designated OPS 6431 and catalogued as 1976-038A.</td></tr><tr><td>OPS 6431 SSU-2</td><td>1976-038D</td></tr><tr><td>OPS 6431 SSU-3</td><td>1976-038J</td></tr><tr><td>OPS 8781 SSU-1</td><td>1977-112D</td><td rowspan="3">8 December 1977</td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Atlas_E%2fF/KnI32kNm">Atlas E/F</a>-MSD</td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Air_Force_Base/CHNed3F4">VAFB</a>, <a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Space_Launch_Complex_3/ocbesEHR">SLC-3W</a></td><td rowspan="3">1,054 km</td><td rowspan="3">1,169 km</td><td rowspan="3">63.4°</td><td rowspan="3">Dispenser designated OPS 8781 and catalogued as 1977-112A.</td></tr><tr><td>OPS 8781 SSU-2</td><td>1977-112E</td></tr><tr><td>OPS 8781 SSU-3</td><td>1977-112F</td></tr><tr><td>OPS 7245 SSU-1</td><td>1980-019C</td><td rowspan="3">3 March 1980</td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Atlas_E%2fF/KnI32kNm">Atlas E/F</a>-MSD</td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Air_Force_Base/CHNed3F4">VAFB</a>, <a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Space_Launch_Complex_3/ocbesEHR">SLC-3W</a></td><td rowspan="3">1,035 km</td><td rowspan="3">1,150 km</td><td rowspan="3">63.0°</td><td rowspan="3">Dispenser designated OPS 7245 and catalogued as 1980-019A.</td></tr><tr><td>OPS 7245 SSU-2</td><td>1980-019D</td></tr><tr><td>OPS 7245 SSU-3</td><td>1980-019G</td></tr><tr><td>OPS 3255 SSU-1</td><td>N/A</td><td rowspan="3">9 December 1980</td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Atlas_E%2fF/KnI32kNm">Atlas E/F</a>-MSD</td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Air_Force_Base/CHNed3F4">VAFB</a>, <a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Space_Launch_Complex_3/ocbesEHR">SLC-3W</a></td><td rowspan="3" colspan="3">Failed to orbit</td><td rowspan="3">Dispenser designated OPS 3255, loss of control after engine failure, followed by explosion.</td></tr><tr><td>OPS 3255 SSU-2</td><td>N/A</td></tr><tr><td>OPS 3255 SSU-3</td><td>N/A</td></tr><tr><td>OPS 0252 SSU-1</td><td>1983-008E</td><td rowspan="3">9 February 1983</td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Atlas_H/D3etECmu">Atlas H</a>-MSD</td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Air_Force_Base/CHNed3F4">VAFB</a>, <a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Space_Launch_Complex_3/ocbesEHR">SLC-3E</a></td><td rowspan="3">1,063 km</td><td rowspan="3">1,186 km</td><td rowspan="3">63.40°</td><td rowspan="3">Dispenser designated OPS 0252 and catalogued as 1983-008A.</td></tr><tr><td>OPS 0252 SSU-2</td><td>1983-008F</td></tr><tr><td>OPS 0252 SSU-3</td><td>1983-008H</td></tr><tr><td>OPS 6432 SSU-1</td><td>1983-056C</td><td rowspan="3">9 June 1983</td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Atlas_H/D3etECmu">Atlas H</a>-MSD</td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Air_Force_Base/CHNed3F4">VAFB</a>, <a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Space_Launch_Complex_3/ocbesEHR">SLC-3E</a></td><td rowspan="3">851 km</td><td rowspan="3">1,363 km</td><td rowspan="3">63.4°</td><td rowspan="3">Dispenser designated OPS 6432 and catalogued as 1983-056A.</td></tr><tr><td>OPS 6432 SSU-2</td><td>1983-056D</td></tr><tr><td>OPS 6432 SSU-3</td><td>1983-056G</td></tr><tr><td>OPS 8737 SSU-1</td><td>1984-012C</td><td rowspan="3">5 February 1984</td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Atlas_H/D3etECmu">Atlas H</a>-MSD</td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Air_Force_Base/CHNed3F4">VAFB</a>, <a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Space_Launch_Complex_3/ocbesEHR">SLC-3E</a></td><td rowspan="3">1,052 km</td><td rowspan="3">1,172 km</td><td rowspan="3">63.4°</td><td rowspan="3">Dispenser designated OPS 8737 and catalogued as 1984-012A.</td></tr><tr><td>OPS 8737 SSU-2</td><td>1984-012D</td></tr><tr><td>OPS 8737 SSU-3</td><td>1984-012F</td></tr><tr><td>USA-16</td><td>1986-014E</td><td rowspan="3">9 February 1986</td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Atlas_H/D3etECmu">Atlas H</a>-MSD</td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Air_Force_Base/CHNed3F4">VAFB</a>, <a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Space_Launch_Complex_3/ocbesEHR">SLC-3E</a></td><td rowspan="3">1,049 km</td><td rowspan="3">1,166 km</td><td rowspan="3">63.0°</td><td rowspan="3">Dispenser designated USA-15 and catalogued as 1986-014A.</td></tr><tr><td>USA-17</td><td>1986-014F</td></tr><tr><td>USA-18</td><td>1986-014H</td></tr><tr><td>USA-23</td><td>1987-043E</td><td rowspan="3">15 May 1987</td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Atlas_H/D3etECmu">Atlas H</a>-MSD</td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Air_Force_Base/CHNed3F4">VAFB</a>, <a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Space_Launch_Complex_3/ocbesEHR">SLC-3E</a></td><td rowspan="3">1,045 km</td><td rowspan="3">1,179 km</td><td rowspan="3">62.9°</td><td rowspan="3">Dispenser designated USA-22 and catalogued as 1987-043A.</td></tr><tr><td>USA-24</td><td>1987-043F</td></tr><tr><td>USA-26</td><td>1987-043H</td></tr><tr><td colspan="10"><h3>Second generation</h3></td></tr><tr><td>USA-60</td><td>1990-050E</td><td rowspan="3">8 June 1990</td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Titan_IV/H0TsgoPC">Titan IV(405)A</a></td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Cape_Canaveral_Air_Force_Station/dwJ9MCPH">CCAFS</a>, <a href="/facts/Cape_Canaveral_Space_Launch_Complex_41/QBUVHdSb">LC-41</a></td><td rowspan="12">N/A</td><td rowspan="3">1,071 km</td><td rowspan="3">1,146 km</td><td rowspan="3">63.4°</td><td rowspan="3">Dispenser designated USA-59 and catalogued as 1990-050A.</td></tr><tr><td>USA-61</td><td>1990-050F</td></tr><tr><td>USA-62</td><td>1990-050H</td></tr><tr><td>USA-74</td><td>1991-076C</td><td rowspan="3">8 November 1991</td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Titan_IV/H0TsgoPC">Titan IV(403)A</a></td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Air_Force_Base/CHNed3F4">VAFB</a>, <a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Space_Launch_Complex_4/JVoP1fwD">SLC-4E</a></td><td rowspan="3">1,052 km</td><td rowspan="3">1,164 km</td><td rowspan="3">63.4°</td><td rowspan="3">Dispenser designated USA-72 and catalogued as 1991-076A.</td></tr><tr><td>USA-76</td><td>1991-076D</td></tr><tr><td>USA-77</td><td>1991-076E</td></tr><tr><td>Unnamed</td><td>N/A</td><td rowspan="3">2 August 1993</td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Titan_IV/H0TsgoPC">Titan IV(403)A</a></td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Air_Force_Base/CHNed3F4">VAFB</a>, <a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Space_Launch_Complex_4/JVoP1fwD">SLC-4E</a></td><td rowspan="3" colspan="3">Failed to orbit</td><td rowspan="3">Exploded due to crack in solid rocket motor caused by poor repair.</td></tr><tr><td>Unnamed</td><td>N/A</td></tr><tr><td>Unnamed</td><td>N/A</td></tr><tr><td>USA-119</td><td>1996-029A</td><td rowspan="3">12 May 1996</td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Titan_IV/H0TsgoPC">Titan IV(403)A</a></td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Air_Force_Base/CHNed3F4">VAFB</a>, <a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Space_Launch_Complex_4/JVoP1fwD">SLC-4E</a></td><td rowspan="3">1,050 km</td><td rowspan="3">1,166 km</td><td rowspan="3">63.4°</td><td rowspan="3">Dispenser designated USA-122 and catalogued as 1996-029D.</td></tr><tr><td>USA-120</td><td>1996-029B</td></tr><tr><td>USA-121</td><td>1996-029C</td></tr><tr><td colspan="10"><h3>Third generation (Intruder)</h3></td></tr><tr><td>USA-160</td><td>2001-040A</td><td rowspan="2">8 September 2001</td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Atlas_II/JBCEQcuF">Atlas IIAS</a></td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Air_Force_Base/CHNed3F4">VAFB</a>, <a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Space_Launch_Complex_3/ocbesEHR">SLC-3E</a></td><td rowspan="2">NROL-13</td><td rowspan="2">1,100 km</td><td rowspan="2">1,100 km</td><td rowspan="2">63.0°</td><td rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td>Unnamed*</td><td>2001-040C</td></tr><tr><td>USA-173</td><td>2003-054A</td><td rowspan="2">2 December 2003</td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Atlas_II/JBCEQcuF">Atlas IIAS</a></td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Air_Force_Base/CHNed3F4">VAFB</a>, <a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Space_Launch_Complex_3/ocbesEHR">SLC-3E</a></td><td rowspan="2">NROL-18</td><td rowspan="2">1,013 km</td><td rowspan="2">1,200 km</td><td rowspan="2">63.4°</td><td rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td>Unnamed*</td><td>2003-054C</td></tr><tr><td>USA-181</td><td>2005-004A</td><td rowspan="2">3 February 2005</td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Atlas_III/MCNDV2Ba">Atlas IIIB</a></td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Cape_Canaveral_Air_Force_Station/dwJ9MCPH">CCAFS</a>, <a href="/facts/Cape_Canaveral_Launch_Complex_36/IXGlSACg">SLC-36B</a></td><td rowspan="2">NROL-23</td><td rowspan="2">1,011 km</td><td rowspan="2">1,209 km</td><td rowspan="2">63.4°</td><td rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td>Unnamed*</td><td>2005-004C</td></tr><tr><td>USA-194</td><td>2007-027A</td><td rowspan="2">15 June 2007</td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Atlas_V/5SNgegyt">Atlas V</a> 401</td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Cape_Canaveral_Air_Force_Station/dwJ9MCPH">CCAFS</a>, <a href="/facts/Cape_Canaveral_Space_Launch_Complex_41/QBUVHdSb">SLC-41</a></td><td rowspan="2">NROL-30</td><td rowspan="2">1,053 km</td><td rowspan="2">1,163 km</td><td rowspan="2">63.4°</td><td rowspan="2">Launched into lower orbit than planned, spacecraft corrected under own power, at expense of operational life.</td></tr><tr><td>Unnamed*</td><td>2007-027C</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/USA-229/2rYSeB1n">USA-229</a></td><td>2011-014A</td><td rowspan="2">15 April 2011</td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Atlas_V/5SNgegyt">Atlas V</a> 411</td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Air_Force_Base/CHNed3F4">VAFB</a>, <a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Space_Launch_Complex_3/ocbesEHR">SLC-3E</a></td><td rowspan="2">NROL-34</td><td rowspan="2">1,015 km</td><td rowspan="2">1,207 km</td><td rowspan="2">63.46°</td><td rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/USA-229/2rYSeB1n">Unnamed</a>*</td><td>2011-014B</td></tr><tr><td>USA-238</td><td>2012-048A</td><td rowspan="2">13 September 2012</td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Atlas_V/5SNgegyt">Atlas V</a> 401</td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Air_Force_Base/CHNed3F4">VAFB</a>, <a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Space_Launch_Complex_3/ocbesEHR">SLC-3E</a></td><td rowspan="2">NROL-36</td><td rowspan="2">1,056 km</td><td rowspan="2">1,158 km</td><td rowspan="2">63.4°</td><td rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td>Unnamed*</td><td>2012-048P</td></tr><tr><td>USA-264</td><td>2015-058A</td><td rowspan="2">8 October 2015</td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Atlas_V/5SNgegyt">Atlas V</a> 401</td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Air_Force_Base/CHNed3F4">VAFB</a>, <a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Space_Launch_Complex_3/ocbesEHR">SLC-3E</a></td><td rowspan="2">NROL-55</td><td rowspan="2">1,013 km</td><td rowspan="2">1,201 km</td><td rowspan="2">63.4°</td><td rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td>Unnamed*</td><td>2015-058R</td></tr><tr><td>USA-274</td><td>2017-011A</td><td rowspan="2">1 March 2017</td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Atlas_V/5SNgegyt">Atlas V</a> 401</td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Air_Force_Base/CHNed3F4">VAFB</a>, <a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Space_Launch_Complex_3/ocbesEHR">SLC-3E</a></td><td rowspan="2">NROL-79</td><td rowspan="2">1,010 km</td><td rowspan="2">1,204 km</td><td rowspan="2">63.4°</td><td rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td>Unnamed*</td><td>2017-011B</td></tr><tr><td colspan="10"><h3>Fourth generation (Intruder F/O)</h3></td></tr><tr><td>USA-327</td><td>2022-040A</td><td rowspan="1">17 April 2022</td><td rowspan="1"><a href="/facts/Falcon_9_Block_5/0QqsLwWb">Falcon 9 Block 5</a></td><td rowspan="1"><a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Air_Force_Base/CHNed3F4">VAFB</a>, <a href="/facts/Vandenberg_Space_Launch_Complex_4/JVoP1fwD">SLC-4E</a></td><td rowspan="1">NROL-85<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a></td><td rowspan="1">1,100 km</td><td rowspan="1">1,100 km</td><td rowspan="1">63.4°</td><td rowspan="1">Launched.</td></tr><tr><td>USA-498</td><td></td><td rowspan="1">24 March 2025</td><td rowspan="1"><a href="/facts/Falcon_9_Block_5/0QqsLwWb">Falcon 9 Block 5</a></td><td rowspan="1"><a href="/facts/Cape_Canaveral_Air_Force_Station/dwJ9MCPH">CCAFS</a>, <a href="/facts/Cape_Canaveral_Space_Launch_Complex_40/z6Ql3cuD">SLC-40</a></td><td rowspan="1">NROL-69</td><td rowspan="1">1,100 km</td><td rowspan="1">1,100 km</td><td rowspan="1">63.4°</td><td rowspan="1">Launched.</td></tr></tbody></table> <i>* One satellite from each third generation pair is officially catalogued as debris</i>. data from <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20111011061757/http://www.astronautix.com/craft/noss.htm">[1]</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081121003559/http://www.planet4589.org/space/jsr/back/news.163">[2]</a> <h2 id="cost">Cost</h2> <p>The costs of the NOSS satellites (excluding costs for the launch vehicle), which were destroyed in a Titan IV launch failure in 1993, were US$800 million (inflation adjusted US$ 1.7 billion in 2025).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Poppy_(satellite)/4DSu7aJE">Poppy (satellite)</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Yaogan/cAsq1JnM">Yaogan</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/CERES_(satellite)/2NSN8xWk">CERES (satellite)</a></li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20111011061757/http://www.astronautix.com/craft/noss.htm">NOSS @ astronautix.com</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A2265815">BBC - h2g2 - Naval Ocean Surveillance Satellites - a 'UFO'</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"Display: SSU 1/2 1976-038C". NASA. 14 May 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. <a href="https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1976-038C" target="_blank">https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1976-038C</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"NOSS Double and Triple Satellite Formations". satobs.org. <a href="http://www.satobs.org/noss.html" target="_blank">http://www.satobs.org/noss.html</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Krebs, Gunter (2 December 2021). "Intruder F/O 1, 2 (NOSS-4 1, 2) ?". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 16 March 2022. <a href="https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/noss-4.htm" target="_blank">https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/noss-4.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Weiner, Tim (4 August 1993). "Titan Lost Payload: Spy-Satellite System Worth $800 Million". The New York Times. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/04/us/titan-lost-payload-spy-satellite-system-worth-800-million.html?src=pm" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/04/us/titan-lost-payload-spy-satellite-system-worth-800-million.html?src=pm</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>