Mercury ELINT
Spacecraft · USA
Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.
Credit: Hughes
American electronic intelligence satellite. Class of heavy signals intelligence satellites introduced at the end of the 1990's.
More at: Mercury-fo.
Related
- Family
- Geosynchronous orbit, SIGINT
- Country
- USA
- Launch Vehicles
- Titan, Titan 4, Titan 401A/Centaur, Atlas V, Atlas V 541
- Launch Sites
- Cape Canaveral, Cape Canaveral LC41
- Agency
- USAF
Chronology
4 events
1994 August 27
08:58 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. LV Family: Titan. Launch Vehicle: Titan 401A/Centaur.- USA 105 - . Payload: Mercury ELINT 1. Nation: USA. Agency: NRO, USAF. Class: Surveillance. Type: SIGINT. Spacecraft: Mercury ELINT. USAF Sat Cat: 23223 . COSPAR: 1994-054A. Apogee: 35,790 km (22,230 mi). Perigee: 35,780 km (22,230 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. First launch of Mercury ELINT satellite..
1996 April 24
23:37 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. LV Family: Titan. Launch Vehicle: Titan 401A/Centaur.- USA 118 - . Payload: Mercury ELINT 2. Nation: USA. Agency: NRO, USAF. Class: Surveillance. Type: SIGINT. Spacecraft: Mercury ELINT. USAF Sat Cat: 23855 . COSPAR: 1996-026A. Apogee: 35,790 km (22,230 mi). Perigee: 35,780 km (22,230 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.00 min. Second launch of Mercury ELINT satellite..
1998 August 12
11:30 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. LV Family: Titan. Launch Vehicle: Titan 401A/Centaur. FAILURE: Due to guidance system loss of heading after power interrupt, booster pitched over 40 seconds after launch, and was destroyed by range safety.. Failed Stage: G.- Mercury ELINT - . Payload: Mercury ELINT 3. Nation: USA. Agency: NRO, NSA. Manufacturer: TRW. Class: Surveillance. Type: SIGINT. Spacecraft: Mercury ELINT. Third launch of Mercury ELINT satellite..
2014 April 10
17:45 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 541.- USA 250 - . Payload: NROL-67. Mass: 3,600 kg (7,900 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Surveillance. Type: SIGINT. Spacecraft: Mercury ELINT. USAF Sat Cat: 39652 . COSPAR: 2014-020A. Apogee: 35,790 km (22,230 mi). Perigee: 35,780 km (22,230 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.00 min. It appeared likely that the Centaur stage made three burns to deploy the USA 250 payload in geosynchronous orbit. The payload was suspected to be a large NRO signals intelligence satellite..