NOSS-3 3A & 3B (USA-181) (NROL-23)

Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

07:41:00

Thursday February 3, 2005

Watch Replay

Official Livestream

Mission Details

Launch Notes

Final flight of Atlas IIIB

NOSS-3 3A & 3B (USA-181) (NROL-23)

Wiki

NOSS-3 (Naval Ocean Surveillance System), which is likely not the official designation, is the third generation of NOSS satellites, which are low orbit SIGINT satellites. In 2013, the designation Intruder leaked out. These satellites carry equipment to track ships and aircraft via their radio transmissions. Positions of the origin of the transmissions are determined by triangulation. Each launch consists of two satellites of similar size in the same orbit. Both satellites maneuver to stationkeep relative to one another.

Low Earth Orbit

2 Payloads

Rocket

Retired
Atlas IIIB

Active 2002 to 2005

Lockheed Martin logo

Agency

Lockheed

Rocket

Height: 52.8m

Payload to Orbit

LEO: 10,218 kg

GTO: 4,500 kg

Liftoff Thrust

3,826 Kilonewtons

Fairing

Diameter: 4.2m

Height: 12.2m

Stages

2

Launch Site

SLC-36B

Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA

Fastest Turnaround

50 days 6 hours

Stats

Atlas III


6th

Mission

1st

Mission of 2005

2005


4th

Orbital launch attempt