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Atlas V

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Atlas V
Atlas 5
Atlas 5
Credit: (c) Mark Wade
American orbital launch vehicle. The Atlas V launch vehicle system was a completely new design that succeeded the earlier Atlas series. Atlas V vehicles were based on the 3.8-m (12.5-ft) diameter Common Core Booster (CCB) powered by a single Russian RD-180 engine. These could be clustered together, and complemented by a Centaur upper stage, and up to five solid rocket boosters, to achieve a wide range of performance.
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Status: Active. Payload: 12,500 kg (27,500 lb). Thrust: 8,590.00 kN (1,931,100 lbf). Gross mass: 546,700 kg (1,205,200 lb). Height: 58.30 m (191.20 ft). Diameter: 3.81 m (12.49 ft). Span: 5.40 m (17.70 ft). Apogee: 185 km (114 mi).

When combined with a standard Atlas payload fairing, the configuration was designated as the Atlas V 400 series. The Atlas V 500 series combined the CCB with a larger 5 m diameter payload fairing derived from that used on the Ariane 5 vehicle The Atlas V 500 series could also tailor performance by incorporating from zero to five solid rocket boosters (SRB).

Both Atlas V 400 and 500 configurations incorporated a stretched version of the Centaur upper stage (CIII), which could be configured as a single-engine Centaur (SEC) or a dual engine Centaur (DEC). The Atlas V family of launch vehicles could be launched from either Cape Canaveral Air Station Launch Complex 41 or Vandenberg Air Force Base Space Launch Complex 3W.

A three-digit naming convention was developed for the Atlas V launch vehicle system to identify it's multiple configuration possibilities, as follows: the first digit identified the diameter class (in meters) of the payload fairing (4 or 5 m); the second digit indicated the number of solid rocket motors used (zero for Atlas V 400 and zero to five for Atlas V 500); the third digit represented the number of Centaur engines (one or two). Payload performance of the possible variants were as follows (payloads over 9,050 kg would require structural modification to the basic vehicle):

Atlas V Payload in kg - Configuration x Orbit

ConfigurationLEO 28 degLEO PolarGeosynch TransferGeosynch
Atlas V 40112,50010,7505,000N/A
Atlas V 50110,3009,0504,1001,500
Atlas V 51112,05010,2004,9001,750
Atlas V 52113,95011,8006,0002,200
Atlas V 53117,25014,6006,9003,000
Atlas V 54118,75015,8507,6003,400
Atlas V 55120,05017,0008,2003,750

Launch Price $: 138.000 million in 2004 dollars.

Stage Data - Atlas V

  • Stage 0. 5 x Atlas V SRB. Gross Mass: 40,824 kg (90,001 lb). Empty Mass: 4,000 kg (8,800 lb). Thrust (vac): 1,270.000 kN (285,500 lbf). Isp: 275 sec. Burn time: 94 sec. Isp(sl): 245 sec. Diameter: 1.55 m (5.08 ft). Span: 1.00 m (3.20 ft). Length: 17.70 m (58.00 ft). Propellants: Solid. No Engines: 1. Engine: Aerojet SRB. Status: In production. Comments: New SRB boosters in development for Atlas V. Empty mass, vacuum thrust, sea level Isp estimated.
  • Stage 1. 1 x Atlas CCB. Gross Mass: 306,914 kg (676,629 lb). Empty Mass: 22,461 kg (49,518 lb). Thrust (vac): 4,151.998 kN (933,406 lbf). Isp: 338 sec. Burn time: 253 sec. Isp(sl): 311 sec. Diameter: 3.81 m (12.49 ft). Span: 3.81 m (12.49 ft). Length: 32.46 m (106.49 ft). Propellants: Lox/Kerosene. No Engines: 1. Engine: RD-180. Status: In production. Comments: Common Core Booster uses Glushko RD-180 engine and new isogrid tanks. Used in Atlas IV/USAF EELV, Atlas V. Includes 272 kg booster interstage adapter and 1297 kg Centaur interstage adapter.
  • Stage 2. 1 x Centaur V1. Gross Mass: 22,825 kg (50,320 lb). Empty Mass: 2,026 kg (4,466 lb). Thrust (vac): 99.194 kN (22,300 lbf). Isp: 451 sec. Burn time: 894 sec. Diameter: 3.05 m (10.00 ft). Span: 3.05 m (10.00 ft). Length: 12.68 m (41.60 ft). Propellants: Lox/LH2. No Engines: 1. Engine: RL-10A-4-2. Status: In production. Centaur is powered by either one or two Pratt & Whitney RL10A-4-2 turbopump-fed engines burning liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. For typical, high-energy mission applications, Centaur will be configured with one RL10 engine. For heavy payload, low earth orbit missions, Centaur will use two RL10 engines to maximize boost phase mission performance. Guidance, tank pressurization, and propellant usage controls for both Atlas and Centaur phases are provided by the inertial navigation unit (INU) located on the Centaur forward equipment module.

Subtopics
Atlas V 401 American orbital launch vehicle. Atlas V version with a 4-m diameter payload fairing, single engine Centaur upper stage, and no strap-on solid boosters. Payloads: 7,095 kg (15,642 lb) to sun synchronous orbit; 4,950 kg (10,910 lb) to geosynchronous transfer orbit.
Atlas V 521 American orbital launch vehicle. Atlas V with 5-m diameter payload fairing, single engine Centaur upper stage, and two strap-on solid boosters. Payloads: 10,161 kg (22,401 lb) to sun synchronous orbit; 6,485 kg (14,297 lb) to geosynchronous transfer orbit.
Atlas V 431 American orbital launch vehicle. Atlas V with 4-m diameter payload fairing, single engine Centaur upper stage, and three strap-on solid boosters. Payloads: 11,547 kg (25,458 lb) to sun synchronous orbit; 7,800 kg (17,196 lb) to geosynchronous transfer orbit.
Andrews ETOS American orbital launch vehicle. Proposed Earth-to-Orbit Segment booster for Andrews CEV architecture. Consisted of an Atlas V core, two Zenit-2 booster strap-ons, and a new-development LOx/LH2 upper stage.
Atlas V 551 American orbital launch vehicle. Atlas V with 5-m diameter payload fairing, single engine Centaur upper stage, and five strap-on solid boosters. Payloads: 20,520 kg (45,238 lb) to sun synchronous orbit; 8,700 kg (19,180 lb) to geosynchronous transfer orbit.
Atlas V 411 American orbital launch vehicle. Atlas V with 4-m diameter payload fairing, single engine Centaur upper stage, and one strap-on solid booster. Payloads: 8,763 kg (19,320 lb) to sun synchronous orbit; 6,075 kg (13,393 lb) to geosynchronous transfer orbit.
Atlas V 421 American orbital launch vehicle. Atlas V with 4-m diameter payload fairing, single engine Centaur upper stage, and two strap-on solid boosters. Payloads: 10,168 kg (22,416 lb) to sun synchronous orbit; 7,000 kg (15,432 lb) to geosynchronous transfer orbit.
Atlas V Growth Phase 1 American orbital launch vehicle. Proposed growth variant of the heavy-lift version of the Atlas V launch vehicle with three parallel 3.8-m-diameter Common Core Boosters (CCB), a 5-m-diameter wide body version of the Centaur upper stage with a single-engine, and a 5 m diameter payload fairing. Another variant would use a stretched wide body version of the Centaur upper stage with 2 or 4 motors, allowing payloads of up to 13,500 kg to be lofted to earth escape velocity.
Atlas V Growth Phase 2 American orbital launch vehicle. Proposed growth variant of the heavy-lift version of the Atlas V launch vehicle with three parallel 5-m-diameter wide-body Common Core Boosters (CCB), each with 1 or 2 RD-180 engines; a 5-m-diameter new LOx/LH2 stage with 2 or 4 engines with a total thrust of 180,000 kgf; and a 5 m diameter payload fairing.
Atlas V Growth Phase 3 American orbital launch vehicle. Proposed Saturn-V class variant of the heavy-lift version of the Atlas V launch vehicle with five parallel 5-m-diameter wide-body Common Core Boosters (CCB), each with 1 or 2 RD-180 engines; a 7-m-diameter new LOx/LH2 stage; and a 7 m diameter payload fairing.
Atlas V Heavy American orbital launch vehicle. Heavy-lift version of the Atlas V launch vehicle system with three parallel 3.8-m-diameter Common Core Boosters (CCB), and a stretched version of the Centaur upper stage (CIII), which could be configured as a single-engine Centaur (SEC) or a dual engine Centaur (DEC), and a 5 m diameter payload fairing. As of 2004 no work had been authorized to build Atlas V Heavy facilities at either Cape Canaveral or Vandenberg AFB.
Atlas V 501 Atlas V with 5-m diameter payload fairing, single engine Centaur upper stage, and no strap-on solid boosters. Payloads: 6,319 kg (13,931 lb) to sun synchronous orbit; 3,970 kg (8,752 lb) to geosynchronous transfer orbit.
Atlas V 531 Atlas V 531
Atlas V 541 Null
Family: orbital launch vehicle. Country: USA. Spacecraft: MMS, Astro-200, BCP-5000, Intruder, Juno, LRO, MAVEN, PAN, Quasar, RBSP, Topaz, Trumpet Follow-on, Eurostar 2000, FS-1300, HS 601, Mercury ELINT, MicroSat-100, Spacebus 3000, AS 2100, LM 700, DMSP Block 5D-3, HS 702, FalconSat, SA-200, SDS-3, X-37, NOSS-3, Cubesat, Eurostar 3000, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, New Horizons, Jumpseat-2, Midstar, Orbital Express Astro, RS-300, STPSat, SSTL-150, SDO, GPS Block 2F, MSL. Agency: Martin. More at: 8174. Bibliography: 2, 278, 416, 42, 552, 554, 61.
Photo Gallery
Atlas V VariantsAtlas V Variants
Atlas V Variants
Credit: � Mark Wade
Atlas 2ARAtlas 2AR
Credit: � Mark Wade
RD-180RD-180
Credit: Lockheed Martin
2002 August 21 - . 22:05 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • Hot Bird 6 - . Payload: Spacebus 3000B3. Mass: 3,905 kg (8,609 lb). Nation: Europe. Agency: Eutelsat. Manufacturer: Cannes. Program: Eutelsat. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Spacebus 3000. Spacecraft: Spacebus 3000. USAF Sat Cat: 27499 . COSPAR: 2002-038A. Apogee: 35,814 km (22,253 mi). Perigee: 35,757 km (22,218 mi). Inclination: 0.0000 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

    This was the maiden flight of the Atlas 5 EELV. Launch delayed from May 9, July 8 and 29, August 6 and 12 due to both payload and booster delays. Hot Bird 6 was a European (EUTELSAT) geostationary communications spacecraft. The 4.9-ton Hot Bird 6 (a Spacebus 3000B3) was to provide digital radio and television coverage to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East through its 28 Ku-band and four Ka-band transponders after being parked over 13� E longitude. As of 2007 Mar 4 located at 12.95E drifting at 0.012E degrees per day.

2003 May 13 - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • Hellas Sat 2 - . Mass: 3,440 kg (7,580 lb). Nation: Greece. Agency: Hellas. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Eurostar 2000. Spacecraft: Eurostar 2000. USAF Sat Cat: 27811 . COSPAR: 2003-020A. Apogee: 35,800 km (22,200 mi). Perigee: 35,775 km (22,229 mi). Inclination: 0.1000 deg. Period: 1,436.20 min. Launch delayed from January 30, March 11 and 14, May 10 and 12, 2003. Spacecraft former Intelsat KTV, NSS-KTV, NSS-6, Intelsat APR-3. As of 2007 Mar 8 located at 38.95E drifting at 0.006E degrees per day..
2003 July 17 - . 23:45 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 521.
  • Rainbow 1 (Cablevision 1) - . Payload: A2100AX. Mass: 4,328 kg (9,541 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Cablevision. Manufacturer: Lockheed. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: AS 2100. Spacecraft: AS 2100. USAF Sat Cat: 27852 . COSPAR: 2003-033A. Apogee: 35,795 km (22,241 mi). Perigee: 35,779 km (22,231 mi). Inclination: 0.1000 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. Delayed from May 8 As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 61.68W drifting at 0.011W degrees per day..
2004 December 17 - . 12:07 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 521.
  • AMC-16 (GE-16) - . Payload: A2100AXS. Mass: 4,200 kg (9,200 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: SES Americom. Manufacturer: Lockheed. Program: Americom. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: AS 2100. Spacecraft: AS 2100. USAF Sat Cat: 28472 . COSPAR: 2004-048A. Apogee: 35,791 km (22,239 mi). Perigee: 35,781 km (22,233 mi). Inclination: 0.1000 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

    AMC-16, like AMC-15, was a hybrid Ku/Ka-band satellite built by Lockheed Martin and based on the A2100 spacecraft platform. The spacecraft was to become operational in early 2005 from 85� West with a 15 year design life. The satellite carried 24 x 36 MHz/140 W Ku-band transponders and 12 x 125MHz/75 W spot beams. Coverage included the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. Launch was delayed from December 6 and 16. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 118.75W drifting at 0.002W degrees per day.

2005 March 11 - . 21:42 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 431.
  • Inmarsat-4 F1 - . Payload: Inmarsat 4A / Eurostar 3000GM. Mass: 5,959 kg (13,137 lb). Nation: International. Agency: Inmarsat. Manufacturer: EADS Astrium. Program: Inmarsat. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Eurostar 3000. Spacecraft: Eurostar 3000. USAF Sat Cat: 28628 . COSPAR: 2005-009A. Apogee: 36,011 km (22,376 mi). Perigee: 35,562 km (22,097 mi). Inclination: 3.0000 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

    Heaviest single payload to geosynchronous transfer orbit to that date. Delayed from October 2004, February 27, March 10, 2005. The satellite was to provide L-band mobile communications and wideband data transmission for Inmarsat's global network. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 63.82E drifting at 0.000E degrees per day.

2005 August 12 - . 11:43 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
2006 January 19 - . 19:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 551.
  • New Horizons - . Mass: 478 kg (1,053 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: JPL, NASA. Manufacturer: APL. Class: Outer planets. Type: Outer planets probe. Spacecraft Bus: New Horizons. Spacecraft: New Horizons. USAF Sat Cat: 28928 . COSPAR: 2006-001A.

    Last robotic mission to an unexplored planet in our solar system. New Horizons was due to receive a gravity boost from Jupiter in February 2007, then fly by Pluto in 2015. During launch toward Jupiter it reached a higher velocity than any manmade object, and was the first to be boosted directly to solar escape velocity. The trajectory had a perihelion of 0.98 AU, an inclination of 0.87 deg and an eccentricity of 1.03. After the Jupiter encounter it was to have a perihelion of 2.2 AU, an inclination of 2.3 deg and an eccentricity of 1.40. At encounter with Pluto on July 14, 2015, the spacecraft would be 1.1 AU above the ecliptic plane and 32.9 AU from the Sun, leaving the solar system toward the star Xi Sgr.

2006 April 20 - . 20:27 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 411.
  • Astra 1KR - . Payload: A2100AXS. Mass: 4,332 kg (9,550 lb). Nation: Luxembourg. Agency: SES. Manufacturer: Lockheed. Program: Astra. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: AS 2100. Spacecraft: AS 2100. USAF Sat Cat: 29055 . COSPAR: 2006-012A. Apogee: 35,696 km (22,180 mi). Perigee: 35,631 km (22,140 mi). Inclination: 0.1000 deg. Period: 1,429.80 min.

    The first Centaur upper stage burn placed the stack into a 167 km x 22442 km x 24.8 deg transfer orbit. After a second burn the Centaur released the satellite into a 6470 km x 36240 km x 23.8 deg orbit, from which it would use its own engine to achieve final geosynchronous orbit. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 19.18E drifting at 0.022W degrees per day.

2007 March 9 - . 03:10 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • STPSat-1 - . Mass: 170 kg (370 lb). Nation: USA. Manufacturer: AeroAstro. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Astro-200. Spacecraft: Astro-200. USAF Sat Cat: 30775 . COSPAR: 2007-006D. Apogee: 560 km (340 mi). Perigee: 558 km (346 mi). Inclination: 35.4000 deg. Period: 95.80 min. STPSat carried experiments to study the Earth's atmosphere, ionosphere and radiation environment. It also released the two MEPSI picosatellites..
  • Astro - . Mass: 1,090 kg (2,400 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: DARPA. Manufacturer: Boeing. Class: Technology. Type: Rendezvous technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Orbital Express Astro. Spacecraft: Orbital Express Astro. Decay Date: 2013-10-25 . USAF Sat Cat: 30772 . COSPAR: 2007-006A. Apogee: 498 km (309 mi). Perigee: 491 km (305 mi). Inclination: 46.0000 deg. Period: 94.50 min.

    The active satellite portion of DARPA's Orbital Express satellite servicing experiment. Following operational tests while still joined or grappled together, the first 10-m distance Nextsat free flight and redocking by Astro was conducted on 5 May. On the second free-flight test on 11 May a serious computer failure left the two spacecraft 6 km apart. The problem was solved, revised software was uploaded to Astro, and it redocked with Nextsat on 19 May.

  • NextSat - . Mass: 250 kg (550 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: DARPA. Manufacturer: Ball. Class: Technology. Type: Rendezvous technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: RS-300. Spacecraft: RS-300. USAF Sat Cat: 30774 . COSPAR: 2007-006C. Apogee: 498 km (309 mi). Perigee: 491 km (305 mi). Inclination: 46.0000 deg. Period: 94.50 min. The passive satellite portion of DARPA's Orbital Express satellite servicing experiment. NextSat carried hydrazine for fluid transfer experiments, but no propulsion system. Attitude was controlled by momentum wheels supplemented by magnetic torquer rods..
  • Midstar 1 - . Mass: 120 kg (260 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: USN PGS. Manufacturer: USNA. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Midstar. Spacecraft: Midstar. USAF Sat Cat: 30773 . COSPAR: 2007-006B. Apogee: 498 km (309 mi). Perigee: 495 km (307 mi). Inclination: 46.0000 deg. Period: 94.50 min.

    MidSTAR-1 was flown under the DoD Space Test Program and carried the Internet Communications Satellite (ICSat) Experiment (SERB 2002-39) and the Configurable Fault Tolerant Processor (CFTP) Experiment for the Naval Postgraduate School (SERB 2002-34). Planned mission duration was two years.

  • Falconsat-3 - . Mass: 50 kg (110 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Martin. Manufacturer: USAF Colorado Springs. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: FalconSat. Spacecraft: Falconsat. USAF Sat Cat: 30776 . COSPAR: 2007-006E. Apogee: 559 km (347 mi). Perigee: 558 km (346 mi). Inclination: 35.4000 deg. Period: 95.80 min. USAF Academy student satellite with ionospheric experiments and plasma atttiude control thrusters..
  • CFESat - . Payload: Heavily modified Surrey MicroSat-100. Mass: 159 kg (350 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Los Alamos. Manufacturer: Surrey. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: SSTL-150. Spacecraft: SSTL-150. USAF Sat Cat: 30777 . COSPAR: 2007-006F. Apogee: 563 km (349 mi). Perigee: 558 km (346 mi). Inclination: 35.4000 deg. Period: 95.90 min.

    The Cibola Flight Experiment satellites carried eight new technologies for space flight validation, including a new power supply, inflatable antennas, deployable booms, a new type of launch-vehicle separation system, and a high-density pack of AA lithium-ion batteries. Cibola's on-board field programmable gate array supercomputer processed data onboard, then beamed only the results rather than the raw data to the ground. The Cibola also had a science mission: the study of lightning, ionospheric disturbances, and other sources of radio frequency (RF) atmospheric noise.

  • MEPSI Picosat - . Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: DARPA. Manufacturer: Aerospace. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. COSPAR: 2007-006x. Apogee: 563 km (349 mi). Perigee: 558 km (346 mi). Inclination: 35.4000 deg. Released from STPSat..
  • MEPSI Picosat - . Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: DARPA. Manufacturer: Aerospace. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. COSPAR: 2007-006x. Apogee: 563 km (349 mi). Perigee: 558 km (346 mi). Inclination: 35.4000 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. Released from STPSat..
2007 June 15 - . 15:11 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • USA 194 - . Payload: Intruder 8. Nation: USA. Agency: NRO. Manufacturer: Lockheed. Class: Surveillance. Type: Naval signals intelligence satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Intruder. Spacecraft: Intruder. USAF Sat Cat: 31701 . COSPAR: 2007-027A. Apogee: 1,246 km (774 mi). Perigee: 776 km (482 mi). Inclination: 63.4000 deg.

    Classified National Reconnaissance Office mission. There appeared to be problem in the second burn of the Centaur upper stage. Amateur observors believed that two satellites were to be have been deployed in 1150 km altitude, 63 deg inclination, but that only a 776 km x 1246 km was achieved. However it was believed that the payloads could reach the final intended orbits using on-board propulsion

2007 October 11 - . 00:22 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 421.
  • USA 195 - . Payload: WGS 1. Mass: 5,987 kg (13,199 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Martin. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: HS 702. Spacecraft: HS 702. USAF Sat Cat: 32258 . COSPAR: 2007-046A. Apogee: 39,016 km (24,243 mi). Perigee: 32,586 km (20,247 mi). Inclination: 0.2000 deg. Period: 1,436.80 min. First USAF Wideband Global Satcom satellite, designed to replace the DSCS series, was placed by the Atlas booster in an initial 477 km x 66,847 km x 20.1 deg geosynchronous transfer orbit. The satellite carried X-band and Ka-band communications payloads..
2007 December 10 - . 22:05 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • USA 198 - . Payload: NROL-24. Nation: USA. Agency: Martin. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Quasar. Spacecraft: Quasar. USAF Sat Cat: 32378 . COSPAR: 2007-060A. Apogee: 35,800 km (22,200 mi). Perigee: 35,800 km (22,200 mi). Inclination: 0.0000 deg. Period: 1,440.00 min.

    Classified National Reconnaisance Office payload; probable primary payload data relay communications. May also have carried SBIRS HEO-2 infrared missile warning sensor and a TWINS-B magnetospheric research experiment. Initial orbit 261 x 16776 km x 60.0 deg.

2008 March 13 - . 10:02 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC3E. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 411.
  • USA 200 - . Payload: Raven 5 / NROL-28. Nation: USA. Agency: Martin. Class: Surveillance. Type: ELINT. Spacecraft Bus: Raven satellite. Spacecraft: Raven satellite. USAF Sat Cat: 32706 . COSPAR: 2008-010A. Apogee: 35,780 km (22,230 mi). Perigee: 1,112 km (690 mi). Inclination: 63.6000 deg. Period: 720.00 min.

    Classified National Reconnaisance Office satellite placed in a Molniya orbit; orbital parameters are estimated. Believed to be the second in a new series carrying combined signals intelligence and early warning payloads. Probable sensors included the SBIRS HEO-2 infrared missile early warning package and the NASA/Los Alamos TWINS-B magnetospheric research payload.

2008 April 14 - . 20:12 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 421.
  • ICO G1 - . Mass: 6,600 kg (14,500 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Martin. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: FS-1300. Spacecraft: FS-1300. USAF Sat Cat: 32763 . COSPAR: 2008-016A. Apogee: 35,800 km (22,200 mi). Perigee: 35,774 km (22,228 mi). Inclination: 6.0000 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. The satellite was to provide mobile communications services for ICO Global Communications, a successor company to Teledesic..
2009 April 4 - . 08:34 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 421.
  • USA 204 - . Payload: WGS 2. Mass: 5,987 kg (13,199 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Martin. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: HS 702. Spacecraft: HS 702. USAF Sat Cat: 34713 . COSPAR: 2009-017A. Apogee: 35,452 km (22,028 mi). Perigee: 35,397 km (21,994 mi). Inclination: 0.1000 deg. Period: 1,417.60 min. Wideband Global Satcom; provided communications for the US Dept. of Defense Central Command (CENTCOM)..
2009 June 18 - . 21:32 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • LRO - . Nation: USA. Agency: Martin. Class: Moon. Type: Lunar orbiter. Spacecraft Bus: LRO. Spacecraft: LRO. USAF Sat Cat: 35315 . COSPAR: 2009-031A. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
  • LCROSS - . Nation: USA. Agency: Martin. Class: Moon. Type: Lunar impacter. Spacecraft Bus: LRO. Spacecraft: LRO. Decay Date: 2009-10-09 . USAF Sat Cat: 35316 . COSPAR: 2009-031B.

    Lunar impact probe, designed to detect ice in the lunar polar regions. LCROSS and the Centaur stage flew 3270 km from the Moon at 1030 GMT on June 23 and were hurled to a 5820,00 km apogee. On 9 October LCROSS separated from the Centaur. The Centaur impacted in Cabeus crater at 11:31 GMT on 9 October followed by LCROSS at 11:35 GMT. The impacts did not produce the expected spectacular impact plume as expected. However later data reduction did show significant amounts of water.

2009 September 8 - . 21:35 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • USA 207 - . Payload: PAN. Nation: USA. Agency: Martin. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: PAN. Spacecraft: PAN. USAF Sat Cat: 35815 . COSPAR: 2009-047A. Apogee: 35,800 km (22,200 mi). Perigee: 35,800 km (22,200 mi). Inclination: 0.0000 deg. Period: 1,440.00 min. Classified communications satellite, perhaps providing services for the CIA to replace channels hosted on the US Navy's UHF Follow-On series. Stationed in geostationary orbit at 34 deg E..
2009 October 18 - . 16:12 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC3E. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • USA 210 - . Payload: DMSP 5D F-18. Mass: 1,200 kg (2,600 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Martin. Class: Earth. Type: Weather satellite. Spacecraft Bus: DMSP Block 5D-3. Spacecraft: DMSP Block 5D-3. USAF Sat Cat: 35951 . COSPAR: 2009-057A. Apogee: 858 km (533 mi). Perigee: 843 km (523 mi). Inclination: 98.9000 deg. Period: 101.90 min. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. After release of the weather satellite the Centaur AV-017 upper stage was tested, having enough propellant left over to escape the earth's gravity and enter solar orbit..
2009 November 23 - . 06:55 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 431.
  • Intelsat IS-14 - . Mass: 5,663 kg (12,484 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Martin. Program: Intelsat. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: FS-1300. Spacecraft: FS-1300. USAF Sat Cat: 36097 . COSPAR: 2009-064A. Apogee: 35,800 km (22,200 mi). Perigee: 35,775 km (22,229 mi). Inclination: 0.0000 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

    Communications satellite to replace IS-1R at 24 deg W over the Atlantic. The Centaur AV-024 upper stage maneuvered and then released the satellite into a 6157 km x 39094 km x 22.5 deg geosynchronous transfer orbit at 08:53 GMT. IS-14 then used its own propulsion to reach its operational orbit. Mass 2517 kg unfuelled.

2010 February 11 - . 15:23 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • SDO - . Mass: 3,200 kg (7,000 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Martin. Class: Astronomy. Type: Solar satellite. Spacecraft Bus: SDO. Spacecraft: SDO. USAF Sat Cat: 36395 . COSPAR: 2010-005A. Apogee: 35,800 km (22,200 mi). Perigee: 35,773 km (22,228 mi). Inclination: 28.0000 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

    Solar Dynamics Observatory. The Centaur AV-021 upper stage moved from an initial 175 km x 3706 km x 28.7 deg parking orbit to a 2480 km x 35369 km x 28.6 deg transfer orbitand then released the satellite, which used its own R4D thruster to reach geosynchronous orbit.

2010 April 22 - . 23:52 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 501.
  • USA 212 - . Payload: X-37B OTV 1. Mass: 5,000 kg (11,000 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Martin. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Spacecraft Bus: X-37. Spacecraft: X-37. Duration: 224.39 days. USAF Sat Cat: 36514 . COSPAR: 2010-015A. Reusable unmanned military orbital spaceplane. Landed successfully at Vandenberg at 09:16 GMT on 3 December..
2010 August 14 - . 11:07 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 531.
  • USA 214 - . Payload: AEHF 1 / A2100M. Mass: 6,168 kg (13,598 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Martin. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: AS 2100. Spacecraft: AS 2100. USAF Sat Cat: 36868 . COSPAR: 2010-039A. Apogee: 35,807 km (22,249 mi). Perigee: 35,774 km (22,228 mi). Inclination: 4.3700 deg. Period: 1,436.31 min.

    First USAF Advanced EHF communications satellite. Placed in an initial 221 x 50179 km x 22.2 deg geosynchronous transfer orbit by the Atlas Centaur upper stage. However the satellite's main BT-4 engine failed, meaning the secondary hydrazine thrusters were used to much more satellite raise the spacecraft to geosynchronous orbit.

2010 September 21 - . 04:03 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC3E. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 501.
  • USA 215 - . Payload: NROL-41. Nation: USA. Agency: Martin. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military surveillance radar satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Topaz. Spacecraft: Topaz. USAF Sat Cat: 37162 . COSPAR: 2010-046A. Apogee: 1,105 km (686 mi). Perigee: 1,102 km (684 mi). Inclination: 123.0000 deg. Believed to be a surveillance radarsat, in an unusual retrograde, higher altitude orbit than previous versions..
2011 March 5 - . 22:46 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 501.
  • USA 226 - . Payload: OTV-2 F1. Mass: 5,000 kg (11,000 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Spacecraft Bus: X-37. Spacecraft: X-37. USAF Sat Cat: 37375 . COSPAR: 2011-010A.

    Second unmanned Orbital Test Vehicle X-37B reusable spaceplane. Possibly placed in a 400 x 420 km x 40 deg orbit like that used by OTV-1; mission expected to last 9 months with automatic landing at Vandenberg Air Force Base. The Centaur AV-026 upper stage was deorbited over the Indian Ocean on the first orbit.

2011 April 15 - . 04:24 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC3E. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 411.
  • USA 229 - . Payload: Intruder 9 / NROL-34. Mass: 3,250 kg (7,160 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Naval signals intelligence satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Intruder. Spacecraft: Intruder. USAF Sat Cat: 37386 . COSPAR: 2011-014A. Apogee: 1,200 km (700 mi). Perigee: 1,010 km (620 mi). Inclination: 63.4000 deg. Period: 107.40 min. Probable naval ocean surveillance satellite cluster; normally operate in 1100 km circular orbits with 63 deg inclination and carry equipment to track ships and aircraft via their radio transmissions..
  • USA 229 P/L 2 - . Payload: Intruder 9 / NROL-34. Mass: 3,250 kg (7,160 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Naval signals intelligence satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Intruder. Spacecraft: Intruder. USAF Sat Cat: 37391 . COSPAR: 2011-014B. Apogee: 1,200 km (700 mi). Perigee: 1,010 km (620 mi). Inclination: 63.4000 deg. Period: 107.40 min. Probable naval ocean surveillance satellite cluster; normally operate in 1100 km circular orbits with 63 deg inclination and carry equipment to track ships and aircraft via their radio transmissions..
2011 May 7 - . 18:10 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • USA 230 - . Payload: SBIRS GEO-1 / A2100M. Mass: 4,500 kg (9,900 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Early warning satellite. Spacecraft Bus: AS 2100. Spacecraft: AS 2100. USAF Sat Cat: 37481 . COSPAR: 2011-019A. Apogee: 35,872 km (22,289 mi). Perigee: 35,851 km (22,276 mi). Inclination: 6.2600 deg. Period: 1,439.93 min.

    First geosynchronous element of the Space-Based Infrared System, an expensive new multispectral early warning and tracking system that forms part of the American missile defense system. The system also include payloads installed on Molniya-orbit signals intelligence satellite (USA 184 and USA 200). The spacecraft carry an infrared telescope with a large focal plane infrared array to monitor large areas of the Earth at once. An internal moving mirror scans the visible disk of the Earth to detect and track possible missile launches. It also has capabilites to track high-altitude aircraft and thermal events on the surface. The new SBIRS network will succeed 23 DSP satellites launched from 1970 to 2007. GEO-1 was inserted into geostationary transfer orbit by the booster and used its own on Leros-1 apogee motor to maneuver into geosynchronous orbit.

2011 August 5 - . 16:25 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 551.
  • Juno - . Mass: 3,625 kg (7,991 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Outer planets. Type: Outer planets probe. Spacecraft Bus: Juno. Spacecraft: Juno. USAF Sat Cat: 37773 . COSPAR: 2011-040A.

    Jupiter Near-polar Orbiter, accelerated by the AV-029 Centaur to a hyperbolic escape orbit at 17:15 GMT into a 1.0 AU x 2.26 AU x 0.1 deg solar orbit. A 500-km flyby of Earth on 9 October 2013 pumped this orbit towards Jupiter. It is planned to enter Jovian orbit in July 2016, and be commaned to bun up in Jupiter's atmosphere in October 2017. Payloads included magnetometers, plasma and particle instruments, UV auroral imagers and spectrometers, and the JunoCam imager. The probe has a massmof 1593 kg and carries a further 2032 kg of propellant. Its three large solar arrays span around 22 meters; it is the first spacecraft to fly to the outer solar system without radioisotope power sources.

2011 November 26 - . 15:02 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 541.
  • MSL - . Mass: 3,839 kg (8,463 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Mars. Type: Mars rover. Spacecraft Bus: Mars Rovers. Spacecraft: MSL. Decay Date: 2012-08-06 . USAF Sat Cat: 37936 . COSPAR: 2011-070A. Apogee: 319 km (198 mi). Perigee: 161 km (100 mi). Inclination: 28.9000 deg. Period: 89.30 min. Mars Science Laboratory; 899 kg Curiosity Rover to be landed on Mars surface in August 2012..
2012 February 24 - . 22:15 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 551.
  • MUOS 1 - . Payload: A2100M. Mass: 6,740 kg (14,850 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Communications. Type: Communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: AS 2100. Spacecraft: AS 2100. USAF Sat Cat: 38093 . COSPAR: 2012-009A. Apogee: 35,802 km (22,246 mi). Perigee: 35,771 km (22,227 mi). Inclination: 5.0000 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. US Navy's first Mobile User Objective System launch, providing military UHF communications services. Launch mass 6740 kg; dry mass 3812 kg..
2012 May 4 - . 18:42 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 531.
  • USA 235 - . Payload: AEHF 2 / A2100M. Mass: 6,168 kg (13,598 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Communications. Type: Communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: AS 2100. Spacecraft: AS 2100. USAF Sat Cat: 38254 . COSPAR: 2012-019A. Apogee: 46,814 km (29,088 mi). Perigee: 25,572 km (15,889 mi). Inclination: 4.7000 deg. Period: 1,456.90 min. US Air Force Advanced EHF communications satellite, providing strategic military EHF communications. First reflight of the bus with the Japanese IHI BT-4 apogee thruster (which had failed on the prior mission) and an electric propulsion system..
2012 June 20 - . 12:28 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • USA 236 - . Payload: NROL-38. Nation: USA. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Quasar. Spacecraft: Quasar. USAF Sat Cat: 38466 . COSPAR: 2012-033A. Apogee: 35,800 km (22,200 mi). Perigee: 35,800 km (22,200 mi). Inclination: 0.0000 deg. Period: 1,440.00 min.
2012 August 30 - . 08:05 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • RBSP A - . Mass: 648 kg (1,428 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Earth. Type: Magnetosphere satellite. Spacecraft Bus: RBSP. Spacecraft: RBSP. USAF Sat Cat: 38752 . COSPAR: 2012-046A. Apogee: 30,513 km (18,959 mi). Perigee: 596 km (370 mi). Inclination: 9.9000 deg. Period: 538.80 min.

    NASA's two Radiation Belt Storm Probes deployed a series of booms include electric field antennae spanning 100 meters. The instruments studied energetic particles, thermal plasma, ionospheric composition and electromagnetic fields and waves. The principal investigator for one experiment, the relativistic proton spectrometer, was at the National Reconnaissance Office.

  • RBSP B - . Mass: 667 kg (1,470 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Earth. Type: Magnetosphere satellite. Spacecraft Bus: RBSP. Spacecraft: RBSP. USAF Sat Cat: 38753 . COSPAR: 2012-046B. Apogee: 30,662 km (19,052 mi). Perigee: 606 km (376 mi). Inclination: 9.9000 deg. Period: 541.70 min.
2012 September 13 - . 21:39 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC3E. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • USA 238 - . Payload: Intruder 10 / NROL-36. Mass: 6,500 kg (14,300 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Naval signals intelligence satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Intruder. Spacecraft: Intruder. USAF Sat Cat: 38758 . COSPAR: 2012-048A. Apogee: 1,200 km (700 mi). Perigee: 1,010 km (620 mi). Inclination: 63.4000 deg. Period: 107.40 min. NROL-36 mission, believed to be a naval signals intelligence satellite.
  • SMDC One 1.2 - . Mass: 4.00 kg (8.80 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Climate technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 38759 . COSPAR: 2012-048B. 3U cubesat operational Nanosatellite Effect communications experiment for US Army Space and Missile Defence Command, Huntsville, Alabama..
  • Aeneas - . Mass: 4.00 kg (8.80 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 38760 . COSPAR: 2012-048C. Cubesat with a cargo container tracking experiment by the University of Southern California, Los Angeles for the Department of Homeland Security.
  • CSSWE - . Mass: 4.00 kg (8.80 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Earth. Type: Magnetosphere satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 38761 . COSPAR: 2012-048D. University of Colorado, Boulder Colorado Student 3U cubesat with a Space Weather Experiment. Studied radiation belt electrons and protons. Extended mission was completed..
  • CXBN - . Mass: 3.00 kg (6.60 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Astronomy. Type: X-ray astronomy satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 38762 . COSPAR: 2012-048E. Morehead State University, Kentucky cosmic hard X-ray background radiation experiment..
  • CP5 - . Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Solar sail technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 38763 . COSPAR: 2012-048F. California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo solar sail deorbit technology experiment..
  • Cinema - . Payload: CINEMA 1. Mass: 4.00 kg (8.80 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Earth. Type: Magnetosphere satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 38764 . COSPAR: 2012-048G. University of California Berkeley magnetospheric experiment..
  • RE - . Payload: Re/STARE. Mass: 4.00 kg (8.80 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Orbital object tracking satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 38765 . COSPAR: 2012-048H. Lawrence Livermore Natlional Laboratory space debris tracking experiment..
  • SMDC One 1.1 - . Mass: 4.00 kg (8.80 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 38766 . COSPAR: 2012-048J. 3U cubesat operational Nanosatellite Effect communications experiment for US Army Space and Missile Defence Command, Huntsville, Alabama..
  • Aerocube 4.5A - . Payload: Aerocube-4.5A. Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 38767 . COSPAR: 2012-048K. Cubesat for Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, California..
  • Aerocube 4.5B - . Payload: Aerocube-4.5B. Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 38768 . COSPAR: 2012-048L. Cubesat for Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, California..
  • Aerocube 4 - . Payload: Aerocube-4. Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 38769 . COSPAR: 2012-048M. Cubesat for Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, California..
2012 December 11 - . 18:03 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 501.
  • USA 240 - . Payload: X-37B OTV-3. Mass: 5,400 kg (11,900 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Spacecraft Bus: X-37. Spacecraft: X-37. USAF Sat Cat: 39025 . COSPAR: 2012-071A. Apogee: 360 km (220 mi). Perigee: 343 km (213 mi). Inclination: 43.5000 deg. X-37B flight vehicle 1 completed its second flight on Oct 17 2014, landing at Vandenberg AFB at 16:24 GMT after 674.9 days in space..
2013 January 31 - . 01:48 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • TDRS 11 - . Payload: HS 601HP. Mass: 3,454 kg (7,614 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Communications. Type: Communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: HS 601. Spacecraft: HS 601. USAF Sat Cat: 39070 . COSPAR: 2013-004A. Apogee: 35,826 km (22,261 mi). Perigee: 35,749 km (22,213 mi). Inclination: 6.9000 deg. Period: 1,436.14 min.

    First new-generation TDRS satellite, supporting communications with the International Space Station and military satellites. Released by the Centaur upper stage into a 4336 km x 35,791 km x 25.7 deg orbit. The satellite then used its R-4D engine to reach station in geosynchronous orbit.

2013 February 11 - . 18:02 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC3E. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • Landsat 8 - . Payload: SA-200HP / LEOStar-3. Mass: 2,623 kg (5,782 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Earth. Type: Earth resources radar satellite. Spacecraft Bus: SA-200. Spacecraft: SA-200. USAF Sat Cat: 39084 . COSPAR: 2013-008A. Apogee: 704 km (437 mi). Perigee: 701 km (435 mi). Inclination: 98.2100 deg. Period: 98.83 min. Carried the OLI (Operational Land Imager) and TIRS (Thermal Infrared Sensor) cameras to continue collection of comparable earth resource data that began with Landsat 1 in 1972. Total launch mass of 2787 kg included 395 kg of hydrazine propellant..
2013 March 19 - . 21:21 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • USA 241 - . Payload: SBIRS GEO-2 / A2100M. Mass: 4,500 kg (9,900 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Early warning satellite. Spacecraft Bus: AS 2100. Spacecraft: AS 2100. USAF Sat Cat: 39120 . COSPAR: 2013-011A. Apogee: 35,800 km (22,200 mi). Perigee: 35,775 km (22,229 mi). Inclination: 6.0000 deg.

    Second geosynchronous orbit in the Space-Based Infrared System for detecting missile launches and tracking missiles, air vehicles, and certain surface events. The Centaur upper stage placed the satellite in a 182 km x 35804 km x 22.2 deg transfer orbit. SBIR-2 used its own engines to reach its operational geosynchronous orbit.

2013 May 15 - . 21:38 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • USA 242 - . Payload: Navstar 68 / GPS SVN 66 / IIF-4 / SV-5 Vega. Mass: 1,630 kg (3,590 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Boeing. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Navstar. Spacecraft: GPS Block 2F. USAF Sat Cat: 39166 . COSPAR: 2013-023A. Apogee: 20,187 km (12,543 mi). Perigee: 20,178 km (12,538 mi). Inclination: 55.0200 deg. Period: 717.97 min.

    Fourth GPS Block IIF satellite, 2.5m high satellite with a solar panel span of 18 m. The IIF navigation payloads carry atomic clocks and broadcast L-band navigation signals in the L1M, L2M, L2C and L5 channels; they also carry sensors to detect nuclear explosions as part of an early warning system.

2013 July 19 - . 13:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 551.
  • MUOS 2 - . Payload: A2100M. Mass: 6,700 kg (14,700 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Communications. Type: Communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: AS 2100. Spacecraft: AS 2100. USAF Sat Cat: 39206 . COSPAR: 2013-036A. Apogee: 35,822 km (22,258 mi). Perigee: 7,847 km (4,875 mi). Inclination: 14.6000 deg. Period: 786.00 min. Mobile User Objective System; provides UHF communications links for the US Navy. 3800 kg dry mass..
2013 September 18 - . 08:10 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 531.
  • USA 246 - . Payload: AEHF 3 / A2100M. Mass: 6,168 kg (13,598 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Communications. Type: Communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: AS 2100. Spacecraft: AS 2100. USAF Sat Cat: 39256 . COSPAR: 2013-050A. Third Advanced EHF communications satellite for the US Air Force. The satellite has a Japanese IHI BT-4 bipropellant thruster and an Aerojet electric propulsion system..
2013 November 18 - . 18:28 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • MAVEN - . Mass: 2,454 kg (5,410 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Mars. Type: Mars probe. Spacecraft Bus: MAVEN. Spacecraft: MAVEN. USAF Sat Cat: 39378 . COSPAR: 2013-063A.

    Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN orbiter designed to study the escape of gases from the upper Martian atmosphere. It carried particles and fields instruments and an imaging ultraviolet spectrometer. MAVEN reached a 167 x 315 km x 26.7 deg parking orbit at 18:41 GMT; the Centaur AV-038 stage restarted at 19:09 GMT and inserted MAVEN into a trans-Mars trajectory. MAVEN and the Centaur left the Earth-Moon system on November 21 in a 0.97 x 1.47 AU x 2.1 deg heliocentric orbit which will take them to Mars in September 2014.

2013 December 6 - . 07:14 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC3E. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 501.
  • USA 247 - . Payload: NROL-39. Nation: USA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military surveillance radar satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Topaz. Spacecraft: Topaz. USAF Sat Cat: 39462 . COSPAR: 2013-072A. Apogee: 1,089 km (676 mi). Perigee: 1,075 km (667 mi). Inclination: 123.0000 deg. Classified launch; appears to have been the third TOPAZ radar satellite..
  • FIREBIRD A - . Mass: 2.00 kg (4.40 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Science. Type: Science satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 39463 . COSPAR: 2013-072B. Apogee: 883 km (548 mi). Perigee: 467 km (290 mi). Inclination: 120.5000 deg.

    1.5U cubesat from the Montana Space Grant Consortium to study electron microbursts in the magnetosphere. The Centaur AV-042 upper stage, after deploying the main payload, made two orbit lowering burns to a 467 x 883 km x 120.5 deg orbit. Attached to AV-042 was GEMSAT, the second NPSCuL cubesat launcher, which ejected 12 cubesats between around 10:22 and 10:38 GMT.

  • FIREBIRD B - . Mass: 2.00 kg (4.40 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Science. Type: Science satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 39464 . COSPAR: 2013-072C. Apogee: 883 km (548 mi). Perigee: 467 km (290 mi). Inclination: 120.5000 deg. 1.5U cubesat from the Montana Space Grant Consortium to study electron microbursts in the magnetosphere..
  • Aerocube 5a - . Mass: 10 kg (22 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 39465 . COSPAR: 2013-072D. Apogee: 883 km (548 mi). Perigee: 467 km (290 mi). Inclination: 120.5000 deg. 5U technology cubesat for the Aerospace Corporation..
  • Aerocube 5b - . Mass: 10 kg (22 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 39466 . COSPAR: 2013-072E. Apogee: 883 km (548 mi). Perigee: 467 km (290 mi). Inclination: 120.5000 deg. 5U technology cubesat for the Aerospace Corporation..
  • ALICE - . Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 39467 . COSPAR: 2013-072F. Apogee: 883 km (548 mi). Perigee: 467 km (290 mi). Inclination: 120.5000 deg. 1U cubesat from the Air Force Institute of Technology carrying technology experiments..
  • SNAP-3 - . Mass: 5.00 kg (11.00 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 39468 . COSPAR: 2013-072G. Apogee: 883 km (548 mi). Perigee: 467 km (290 mi). Inclination: 120.5000 deg. 3U cubesat for the SMDC Nanosatellite Program, with an unknown mission..
  • MCubed-2 - . Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 39469 . COSPAR: 2013-072H. Apogee: 883 km (548 mi). Perigee: 467 km (290 mi). Inclination: 120.5000 deg. 1U cubesat from the University of Michigan with technology experiments, including a low resolution imager..
  • CUNYSAT 1 - . Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Science. Type: Science satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 39470 . COSPAR: 2013-072J. Apogee: 883 km (548 mi). Perigee: 467 km (290 mi). Inclination: 120.5000 deg. 1U cubesat from the City University of New York's Medgar Evers College, with a GPS ionospheric receiver..
  • IPEX - . Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 39471 . COSPAR: 2013-072K. Apogee: 883 km (548 mi). Perigee: 467 km (290 mi). Inclination: 120.5000 deg. 1U cubesat built by Cal Poly to test systems and algorithms for JPL..
  • SMDC One 2.4 - . Mass: 3.00 kg (6.60 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Communications. Type: Communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 39472 . COSPAR: 2013-072L. Apogee: 883 km (548 mi). Perigee: 467 km (290 mi). Inclination: 120.5000 deg. 3U cubesat communications satellite for the US Army Space and Missile Defense Command..
  • Tacsat 6 - . Mass: 4.00 kg (8.80 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 39473 . COSPAR: 2013-072M. Apogee: 883 km (548 mi). Perigee: 467 km (290 mi). Inclination: 120.5000 deg. 3U cubesat for SMDC with an unknown mission, probably tactical communications or imaging..
  • SMDC One 2.3 - . Mass: 4.00 kg (8.80 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Communications. Type: Communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 39474 . COSPAR: 2013-072N. Apogee: 883 km (548 mi). Perigee: 467 km (290 mi). Inclination: 120.5000 deg. 3U cubesat communications satellite for the US Army Space and Missile Defense Command..
2014 January 24 - . 02:33 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • TDRS 12 - . Payload: HS 601HP. Mass: 3,454 kg (7,614 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Communications. Type: Communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: HS 601. Spacecraft: HS 601. USAF Sat Cat: 39504 . COSPAR: 2014-004A. Apogee: 35,799 km (22,244 mi). Perigee: 35,774 km (22,228 mi). Inclination: 6.9200 deg. Period: 1,436.09 min.

    NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite; provided space-to-space relays, channelling high bandwidth data from spacecraft to the ground. TDRS 12 was the second replenishment satellite in the third generation of the TDRS system, using a high power version of the BSS-601HP satellite bus. By February 4 TDRS 12 was in a 35,780 x 35,795 km x 7.0 deg inclined geostationary orbit over 150.0 deg West.

2014 April 3 - . 14:46 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC3E. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • USA 249 - . Payload: DMSP 5D-3 F19. Mass: 1,200 kg (2,600 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Earth. Type: Weather satellite. Spacecraft Bus: DMSP Block 5D-3. Spacecraft: DMSP Block 5D-3. USAF Sat Cat: 39630 . COSPAR: 2014-015A.

    Penultimate US Air Force Defense Meteorological Satellite Program payload in orbit. The DMSP Block 5D-3 S-19 spacecraft was built by RCA/East Windsor, New Jersey and transferred to Lockheed Martin/Sunnyvale after closure of the former facility. The AV-044 Centaur stage reignited to go into heliocentric orbit, like that for the previous DMSP launch. The DMSP satellite's solar array did not completely deploy, but the satellite was expected to enter service nonetheless.

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: ELINT. Spacecraft Bus: Mercury ELINT. 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: 0.0000 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..
2014 May 22 - . 13:09 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • USA 252 - . Nation: USA. Class: Communications. Type: Communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Quasar. Spacecraft: Quasar. USAF Sat Cat: 39751 . COSPAR: 2014-027A. Apogee: 35,800 km (22,200 mi). Perigee: 35,800 km (22,200 mi). Inclination: 0.0000 deg. Period: 1,440.00 min.

    Atlas flight AV-046 left the USA 252 payload in an 840 x 35745 km x 20.7 deg geostationary transfer orbit. It was expected to enter geostationary orbit and was thought to be a QUASAR communications and data relay satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office - either QUASAR 18 or 19, uncertain due to the difficulty of distinguising early QUASAR and JUMPSEAT satellites in the 1970s.

2014 August 2 - . 03:23 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • USA 256 - . Payload: Navstar 71 / GPS SVN 68 / IIF-7 / Capella. Mass: 1,630 kg (3,590 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: ULAL. Spacecraft Bus: Navstar. Spacecraft: GPS Block 2F. USAF Sat Cat: 40105 . COSPAR: 2014-045A. Apogee: 20,479 km (12,725 mi). Perigee: 20,451 km (12,707 mi). Inclination: 55.0000 deg. Period: 729.47 min. The navigation satellite, dubbed 'Capella', reached a 167 km x 20,260 km x 55 deg transfer orbit at 03:40 GMT. A second Centaur burn at 06:40 GMT circularized the orbit prior to release of the satellite..
2014 August 13 - . 18:30 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC3E. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • Worldview-3 - . Mass: 2,800 kg (6,100 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: ULAL. Spacecraft Bus: BCP-5000. Spacecraft: BCP-5000. USAF Sat Cat: 40115 . COSPAR: 2014-048A. Apogee: 614 km (381 mi). Perigee: 612 km (380 mi). Inclination: 97.9900 deg. Period: 96.97 min.

    Commercial imaging satellite in a 10:15 local time of descending node sun-synchronous orbit. Ground resolution of 0.31 m panchromatic, and 1.1 m multispectral. After releasing the satellite the Centaur stage restarted and used up its extra propellant by accelerating to an escape trajectory to solar orbit. WV-3 had an imager with 0.3m ground resolution in addition to multispectral and 3.7-micron IR cameras. Digital Globe was formerly EarthWatch Inc, and merged with the former Space Imaging Inc. (GeoEye) in 2012, which itself absorbed EOSAT in 1996 and OrbImage in 2006, completing the consolidation of the first generation of US commercial imaging companies.

2014 September 17 - . 00:10 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: Cape Canaveral SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • USA 257 - . Payload: CLIO. Mass: 5,000 kg (11,000 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Surveillance. Type: ELINT. Spacecraft Bus: AS 2100. Spacecraft: AS 2100. USAF Sat Cat: 40208 . COSPAR: 2014-055A.

    Classified satellite in an unusual high-perigee geostationary transfer orbit, possibly around 11,800 x 36,000 km, after an initial 174 km x 28,860 km x 28 deg orbit. CLIO's owner was an unidentified US government agency - possibly the National Reconnaissance Office. It may have a communications or signals intelligence payload.

2014 October 29 - . 17:21 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: Cape Canaveral SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • USA 258 - . Payload: Navstar 72 / GPS SVN 69 / IIF-8 / Spica. Mass: 1,630 kg (3,590 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Navstar. Spacecraft: GPS Block 2F. USAF Sat Cat: 40294 . COSPAR: 2014-068A. Apogee: 20,195 km (12,548 mi). Perigee: 20,168 km (12,531 mi). Inclination: 54.9600 deg. Period: 717.93 min. Nicknamed Spica, launched into a 167 x 20,281 km transfer orbit 17 minutes after launch; the Centaur restarted at 20:40 GMT to place the satellite in its final orbit..
2014 December 13 - . 03:19 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC3E. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 541.
  • USA 259 - . Nation: USA. Class: Surveillance. Type: ELINT. Spacecraft Bus: Trumpet Follow-on. Spacecraft: Trumpet Follow-on. USAF Sat Cat: 40344 . COSPAR: 2014-081A. Apogee: 38,204 km (23,738 mi). Perigee: 2,157 km (1,340 mi). Inclination: 62.8000 deg.

    Probably a signals intelligence satellite with an attached SBIRS-HEO early warning sensor as a secondary payload. This mission used the new RL-10C-1 upper stage engine for the first time (refurbished from Delta IV RL-10B-2 engines; replacing the RL10A-4 used previously)

2015 January 21 - . 01:04 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: Cape Canaveral SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 551.
  • MUOS 3 - . Payload: A2100M. Mass: 6,740 kg (14,850 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Communications. Type: Communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: AS 2100. Spacecraft: AS 2100. USAF Sat Cat: 40374 . COSPAR: 2015-002A. Apogee: 35,788 km (22,237 mi). Perigee: 5,592 km (3,474 mi). Inclination: 16.7000 deg. US Navy communications satellite..
2015 March 13 - . 02:44 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: Cape Canaveral SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 421.
  • MMS 1 - . Mass: 1,400 kg (3,000 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Science. Type: Science satellite. Spacecraft Bus: MMS. Spacecraft: MMS. USAF Sat Cat: 40482 . COSPAR: 2015-011A. Apogee: 70,094 km (43,554 mi). Perigee: 1,371 km (851 mi). Inclination: 28.8600 deg. Period: 1,433.33 min.

    NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission was launched on Mar 13. The mission consists of four identical spacecraft, each with a mass of 1000 kg plus 400 kg of propellant. The spacecraft will fly in a tetrahedral formation some tens of kilometres apart to disentangle spatial and temporal fluctuations in the magnetospheric particle and field environment. They will deploy wire booms with a span of 112 metres to measure electric fields. Additional Details: here....

  • MMS 2 - . Mass: 1,400 kg (3,000 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Science. Type: Science satellite. Spacecraft Bus: MMS. Spacecraft: MMS. USAF Sat Cat: 40483 . COSPAR: 2015-011B. Apogee: 70,110 km (43,560 mi). Perigee: 1,356 km (842 mi). Inclination: 28.8400 deg. Period: 1,433.36 min.
  • MMS 3 - . Mass: 1,400 kg (3,000 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Science. Type: Science satellite. Spacecraft Bus: MMS. Spacecraft: MMS. USAF Sat Cat: 40484 . COSPAR: 2015-011C. Apogee: 70,228 km (43,637 mi). Perigee: 1,238 km (769 mi). Inclination: 28.8400 deg. Period: 1,433.35 min.
  • MMS 4 - . Mass: 1,400 kg (3,000 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Science. Type: Science satellite. Spacecraft Bus: MMS. Spacecraft: MMS. USAF Sat Cat: 40485 . COSPAR: 2015-011D. Apogee: 70,094 km (43,554 mi). Perigee: 1,372 km (852 mi). Inclination: 28.8500 deg. Period: 1,433.35 min.
2015 May 20 - . 15:05 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC40. Launch Pad: Cape Canaveral SLC40. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 501.
  • USA 261 - . Payload: X-37B OTV-4. Mass: 5,400 kg (11,900 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: X-37. Spacecraft: X-37. USAF Sat Cat: 40651 . COSPAR: 2015-025A. Apogee: 332 km (206 mi). Perigee: 309 km (192 mi). Inclination: 38.0000 deg.

    Classified mission of the winged, recoverable X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle. Publicly stated to be carrying an AFRL ion engine test and a NASA materials exposure experiment. After releasing the X-37B the Centaur AV-054 rocket stage reignited to reach a 355 km x 700 km x 55-57 deg orbit and at around 17:00 GMT released a set of 9 cubesats. Centaur then made a third burn to deorbit itself over the Indian Ocean.

  • USS Langley - . Mass: 3.00 kg (6.60 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40652 . COSPAR: 2015-025B. Apogee: 700 km (430 mi). Perigee: 350 km (210 mi). Inclination: 55.0000 deg. 3U cubesat from the US Naval Academy (UNSA) testing out an IP link to the satellite's computer which hosts a Unix webserver..
  • PSat-1 - . Payload: PARKINSONSAT (PSAT). Mass: 2.00 kg (4.40 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Communications. Type: Communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40654 . COSPAR: 2015-025D. Apogee: 700 km (430 mi). Perigee: 350 km (210 mi). Inclination: 55.0000 deg. 1.5U cubesat from the US Naval Academy (UNSA) hosting the USN SCP/ODTML buoy communications payload and an amateur radio payload..
  • BRICSat-P - . Mass: 2.00 kg (4.40 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40655 . COSPAR: 2015-025E. Apogee: 700 km (430 mi). Perigee: 350 km (210 mi). Inclination: 55.0000 deg. 1.5U cubesat from the US Naval Academy (UNSA), built in collaboration with George Washington University, testing an electric micropropulsion system..
  • GEARRS-2 - . Mass: 5.00 kg (11.00 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Communications. Type: Communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40657 . COSPAR: 2015-025G. Apogee: 700 km (430 mi). Perigee: 350 km (210 mi). Inclination: 55.0000 deg. Second 3U Globalstar Risk Reduction satellite from startup Near Space Launch (a Taylor University spinoff), with AFRL, to demo cubesat data relay via the Globalstar system..
  • Aerocube-8a - . Mass: 2.00 kg (4.40 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40659 . COSPAR: 2015-025J. Apogee: 700 km (430 mi). Perigee: 350 km (210 mi). Inclination: 55.0000 deg. Aerospace Corporation 1.5U cubesat testing an ion-electrospray propulsion system..
  • Aerocube-8b - . Mass: 2.00 kg (4.40 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40660 . COSPAR: 2015-025K. Apogee: 700 km (430 mi). Perigee: 350 km (210 mi). Inclination: 55.0000 deg. Aerospace Corporation 1.5U cubesat testing carbon nanotube materials..
  • O/C-1 - . Payload: OPTICUBE 01. Mass: 3.00 kg (6.60 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Radar calibration target. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40653 . COSPAR: 2015-025C. Apogee: 700 km (430 mi). Perigee: 350 km (210 mi). Inclination: 55.0000 deg. 3U Optical Cubesat sponsored by NRO and built by Cal Poly as targets for space surveillance calibration..
  • O/C-2 - . Payload: OPTICUBE 02. Mass: 5.00 kg (11.00 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Radar calibration target. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40656 . COSPAR: 2015-025F. Apogee: 700 km (430 mi). Perigee: 350 km (210 mi). Inclination: 55.0000 deg. 3U Optical Cubesat sponsored by NRO and built by Cal Poly as targets for space surveillance calibration..
  • O/C-3 - . Payload: OPTICUBE 03. Mass: 5.00 kg (11.00 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Radar calibration target. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40658 . COSPAR: 2015-025H. Apogee: 700 km (430 mi). Perigee: 350 km (210 mi). Inclination: 55.0000 deg. 3U Optical Cubesat sponsored by NRO and built by Cal Poly as targets for space surveillance calibration..
  • LightSail-A - . Mass: 5.00 kg (11.00 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40661 . COSPAR: 2015-025L. Apogee: 700 km (430 mi). Perigee: 350 km (210 mi). Inclination: 55.0000 deg.

    Planetary Society's 3U cubesat with a solar sail deployment experiment. The cubesat went into safe mode a few days after launch but rebooted on May 30. Its solar panels were deployed on June 3 and the solar sail was unfurled on June 7 at 19:47 GMT. The satellite reentered on June 14.

2015 July 15 - . 15:36 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • USA 262 - . Payload: Navstar 74 / GPS SVN 72 / IIF-10 / Antares. Mass: 1,630 kg (3,590 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Navstar. Spacecraft: GPS Block 2F. USAF Sat Cat: 40730 . COSPAR: 2015-033A. Apogee: 20,228 km (12,569 mi). Perigee: 20,135 km (12,511 mi). Inclination: 55.0700 deg. Period: 717.95 min. Replenished the GPS constellation; 10th satellite in the GPS IIF series..
2015 September 2 - . 10:18 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 551.
  • MUOS 4 - . Payload: A2100M. Mass: 6,700 kg (14,700 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Communications. Type: Communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: AS 2100. Spacecraft: AS 2100. USAF Sat Cat: 40887 . COSPAR: 2015-044A. Apogee: 35,786 km (22,236 mi). Perigee: 3,802 km (2,362 mi). Inclination: 19.1000 deg.

    MUOS (Multiple User Objective System), US Navy UHF-band communications satellite,was launched into a geotransfer orbit. The Centaur upper stage made three burns, to 167 km x 630 km, 194 km x 34,447 km, and 3,802 km x 35,786 km orbits, before releasing the satellite. The satellite used its BT-4 liquid engine to raise its orbit to geosynchronous altitue.

2015 October 2 - . 10:28 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 421.
  • Morelos-3 - . Payload: Boeing 702HP GeoMobile. Mass: 5,400 kg (11,900 lb). Nation: Mexico. Class: Communications. Type: Communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: HS 702. Spacecraft: HS 702. USAF Sat Cat: 40946 . COSPAR: 2015-056A. Apogee: 35,790 km (22,230 mi). Perigee: 35,783 km (22,234 mi). Inclination: 7.0900 deg. Period: 1,436.09 min. Mexican communications satellite with a 22-metre L-band antenna reflector..
2015 October 5 - . 14:05 GMT - . Launch Site: ISS. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 421.
  • AAUSAT-5 - . Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Nation: Denmark. Class: Communications. Type: Communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40949 . COSPAR: 1998-067HA. Apogee: 393 km (244 mi). Perigee: 385 km (239 mi). Inclination: 51.6400 deg. Period: 92.33 min. Aalborg University 1U cubesat for tests of AIS ship tracking receivers.
  • GOMX-3 - . Mass: 5.00 kg (11.00 lb). Nation: Denmark. Class: Communications. Type: Communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40948 . COSPAR: 1998-067GZ. Apogee: 387 km (240 mi). Perigee: 381 km (236 mi). Inclination: 51.6400 deg. Period: 92.24 min. GOMSpace 3U cubesat for tests of ADS-B aircraft data relay.
  • Flock 2b-1 - . Mass: 5.00 kg (11.00 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Surveillance satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40950 . COSPAR: 1998-067HB. Apogee: 391 km (242 mi). Perigee: 387 km (240 mi). Inclination: 51.6400 deg. Period: 92.34 min.
  • Flock 2b-2 - . Mass: 5.00 kg (11.00 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Surveillance satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40951 . COSPAR: 1998-067HC. Apogee: 391 km (242 mi). Perigee: 387 km (240 mi). Inclination: 51.6400 deg. Period: 92.33 min.
  • Flock 2b-3 - . Mass: 5.00 kg (11.00 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Surveillance satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40952 . COSPAR: 1998-067HD. Apogee: 391 km (242 mi). Perigee: 389 km (241 mi). Inclination: 51.6400 deg. Period: 92.35 min.
  • Flock 2b-4 - . Mass: 5.00 kg (11.00 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Surveillance satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40953 . COSPAR: 1998-067HE. Apogee: 392 km (243 mi). Perigee: 389 km (241 mi). Inclination: 51.6400 deg. Period: 92.36 min.
  • Flock 2b-5 - . Mass: 5.00 kg (11.00 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Surveillance satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40954 . COSPAR: 1998-067HF. Apogee: 394 km (244 mi). Perigee: 385 km (239 mi). Inclination: 51.6400 deg. Period: 92.34 min.
  • Flock 2b-6 - . Mass: 5.00 kg (11.00 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Surveillance satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40955 . COSPAR: 1998-067HG. Apogee: 397 km (246 mi). Perigee: 389 km (241 mi). Inclination: 51.6400 deg. Period: 92.41 min.
  • Flock 2b-7 - . Mass: 5.00 kg (11.00 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Surveillance satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40956 . COSPAR: 1998-067HH. Apogee: 392 km (243 mi). Perigee: 384 km (238 mi). Inclination: 51.6400 deg. Period: 92.32 min.
  • Flock 2b-8 - . Mass: 5.00 kg (11.00 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Surveillance satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40957 . COSPAR: 1998-067HJ. Apogee: 387 km (240 mi). Perigee: 382 km (237 mi). Inclination: 51.6400 deg. Period: 92.24 min.
  • Flock 2b-9 - . Mass: 5.00 kg (11.00 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Surveillance satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40962 . COSPAR: 1998-067HK. Apogee: 394 km (244 mi). Perigee: 385 km (239 mi). Inclination: 51.6400 deg. Period: 92.34 min.
  • Flock 2b-10 - . Mass: 5.00 kg (11.00 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Surveillance satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40963 . COSPAR: 1998-067HL. Apogee: 394 km (244 mi). Perigee: 386 km (239 mi). Inclination: 51.6400 deg. Period: 92.36 min.
2015 October 8 - . 12:49 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC3E. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • USA 264 - . Payload: Intruder 11 / NROL-55. Mass: 6,500 kg (14,300 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Naval signals intelligence satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Intruder. Spacecraft: Intruder. USAF Sat Cat: 40964 . COSPAR: 2015-058A. Apogee: 1,201 km (746 mi). Perigee: 1,014 km (630 mi). Inclination: 63.4000 deg.

    The Atlas deployed two NRO satellites and a cluster of cubesats in orbit. Items listed as USA 264 and USA 264 'debris', thought to be a clandestine active payload, were deployed in a 1014 km x 1201 km x 63.4 deg orbit. The satellites were believed to be NRO/Navy signals intelligence satellites, the latest successors to the GRAB/POPPY series, and probably codenamed INTRUDER. Following deployment of the main payloads, the Centaur upper stage made two further burns to a 496 km x 800 km x 64.8 deg orbit and deployed the cubesats from GRACE, the fourth NPS Cubesat Launcher flown on an Atlas Aft Bulkhead Carrier.

  • Aerocube-5C - . Mass: 10 kg (22 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40965 . COSPAR: 2015-058B. Apogee: 802 km (498 mi). Perigee: 500 km (310 mi). Inclination: 64.8000 deg. Aerospace Corporation cubesat..
  • Aerocube-7 - . Mass: 2.00 kg (4.40 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40966 . COSPAR: 2015-058C. Apogee: 802 km (498 mi). Perigee: 500 km (310 mi). Inclination: 64.8000 deg. Aerospace Corporation cubesat..
  • AMSAT-OSCAR-85 - . Mass: 3.00 kg (6.60 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Communications technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40967 . COSPAR: 2015-058D. Apogee: 802 km (498 mi). Perigee: 500 km (310 mi). Inclination: 64.8000 deg. Also called Fox-1A; amateur radio cubesat from AMSAT-North America..
  • Bisonsat - . Mass: 3.00 kg (6.60 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40968 . COSPAR: 2015-058E. Apogee: 802 km (498 mi). Perigee: 500 km (310 mi). Inclination: 64.8000 deg. Cubesat from Salish Kootenai College in Montana..
  • ARC-1 - . Mass: 3.00 kg (6.60 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40969 . COSPAR: 2015-058F. Apogee: 802 km (498 mi). Perigee: 500 km (310 mi). Inclination: 64.8000 deg. Alaska Research Cubesat 1 from University of Alaska, Fairbanks..
  • SNAP-3 ALICE - . Mass: 2.00 kg (4.40 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Communications. Type: Communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40970 . COSPAR: 2015-058G. Apogee: 802 km (498 mi). Perigee: 500 km (310 mi). Inclination: 64.8000 deg. One of three SMDC Nanosatellite Program (SNAP-3) communications cubesats for the US Army Strategica Missile Defence Command..
  • LMRST - . Mass: 2.00 kg (4.40 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40971 . COSPAR: 2015-058H. Apogee: 802 km (498 mi). Perigee: 500 km (310 mi). Inclination: 64.8000 deg. Low Mass Radio Science Transponder experiment cubesat from JPL..
  • SNAP-3 EDDIE - . Mass: 2.00 kg (4.40 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Communications. Type: Communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40972 . COSPAR: 2015-058J. Apogee: 802 km (498 mi). Perigee: 500 km (310 mi). Inclination: 64.8000 deg. One of three SMDC Nanosatellite Program (SNAP-3) communications cubesats for the US Army Strategica Missile Defence Command..
  • PropCube-3 Merryweather - . Mass: 2.00 kg (4.40 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Science. Type: Science satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40973 . COSPAR: 2015-058K. Apogee: 802 km (498 mi). Perigee: 500 km (310 mi). Inclination: 64.8000 deg. One of two PropCube ionospheric-propagation-study cubesats from Tyvak Nanosystems and the US Navy Postgraduate School..
  • SINOD-D 1 - . Mass: 2.00 kg (4.40 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40974 . COSPAR: 2015-058L. Apogee: 802 km (498 mi). Perigee: 500 km (310 mi). Inclination: 64.8000 deg. One of two SINOD-D cubesats with software-defined radio demonstrations from SRI International..
  • SNAP-3 JIMI - . Mass: 2.00 kg (4.40 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Communications. Type: Communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40975 . COSPAR: 2015-058M. Apogee: 802 km (498 mi). Perigee: 500 km (310 mi). Inclination: 64.8000 deg. One of three SMDC Nanosatellite Program (SNAP-3) communications cubesats for the US Army Strategica Missile Defence Command..
  • PropCube-1 Flora - . Mass: 2.00 kg (4.40 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Science. Type: Science satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40976 . COSPAR: 2015-058N. Apogee: 802 km (498 mi). Perigee: 500 km (310 mi). Inclination: 64.8000 deg. One of two PropCube ionospheric-propagation-study cubesats from Tyvak Nanosystems and the US Navy Postgraduate School..
  • SINOD-D 3 - . Mass: 2.00 kg (4.40 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Cubesat. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 40977 . COSPAR: 2015-058P. Apogee: 802 km (498 mi). Perigee: 500 km (310 mi). Inclination: 64.8000 deg. One of two SINOD-D cubesats with software-defined radio demonstrations from SRI International..
  • USA 264 Payload 2 - . Nation: USA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Naval signals intelligence satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Intruder. Spacecraft: Intruder. USAF Sat Cat: 40981 . COSPAR: 2015-058R. Apogee: 1,201 km (746 mi). Perigee: 1,014 km (630 mi). Inclination: 63.4000 deg. Believed to be subsatellite of USA 246 sigint satellite..
2015 October 31 - . 16:13 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • USA 265 - . Payload: Navstar 73 / GPS SVN 71 / IIF-11 / Altair. Mass: 1,630 kg (3,590 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Navstar. Spacecraft: GPS Block 2F. USAF Sat Cat: 41019 . COSPAR: 2015-062A. Apogee: 20,491 km (12,732 mi). Perigee: 20,444 km (12,703 mi). Inclination: 54.9800 deg. Period: 729.58 min. Addition to the GPS constellation, model IIF flight 11, was nicknamed 'Altair'..
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