Naval Ocean Surveillance System

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The Naval Ocean Surveillance System (NOSS), code named White Cloud, is a system consisting of SIGINT satellites, devoted mainly or entirely to ELINT, in low earth orbit.

The system is operated by the United States Navy and its main purpose was tactical geolocation of Soviet fleet assets during the Cold War.

[edit] Launches

Data taken from [1]

  • 1971 December 14 - OPS 7898 P/L 1 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Vehicle: Thorad Agena D SLV-2G. Mass: 700 kg (1,540 lb). Perigee: 983 km (610 mi). Apogee: 999 km (620 mi). Inclination: 70.00 deg. Period: 104.90 min.

Ocean surveillance; White Cloud (?) type spacecraft; test flight. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

  • 1971 December 14 - OPS 7898 P/L 4 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Vehicle: Thorad Agena D SLV-2G. Perigee: 981 km (609 mi). Apogee: 997 km (619 mi). Inclination: 70.00 deg. Period: 104.90 min.

Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

  • 1971 December 14 - OPS 7898 P/L 3 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Vehicle: Thorad Agena D SLV-2G. Perigee: 982 km (610 mi). Apogee: 997 km (619 mi). Inclination: 70.00 deg. Period: 104.90 min.

Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

  • 1971 December 14 - OPS 7898 P/L 2 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Vehicle: Thorad Agena D SLV-2G. Perigee: 983 km (610 mi). Apogee: 999 km (620 mi). Inclination: 70.00 deg. Period: 104.90 min.

Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

  • 1976 April 30 - NOSS 1 (Whitecloud 1) - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Vehicle: Atlas F. Perigee: 1,092 km (678 mi). Apogee: 1,128 km (700 mi). Inclination: 63.50 deg. Period: 107.50 min.

Ocean surveillance; aka White Cloud type spacecraft; Navy Ocean Surveillance Satellite; PARCAE.

  • 1977 December 8 - NOSS 2 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Vehicle: Atlas F. Perigee: 1,054 km (654 mi). Apogee: 1,169 km (726 mi). Inclination: 63.40 deg. Period: 107.50 min.

Ocean surveillance; aka White Cloud type spacecraft; Navy Ocean Surveillance Satellite; PARCAE.

  • 1980 December 9 - SSU - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Vehicle: Atlas E. FAILURE: Premature shut down of one of the Atlas booster engines turned the vehicle around, whereafter the sustainer thrust it back toward the earth.
  • 1980 December 9 - SSU - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Vehicle: Atlas E. FAILURE: Premature shut down of one of the Atlas booster engines turned the vehicle around, whereafter the sustainer thrust it back toward the earth.
  • 1980 December 9 - SSU - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Vehicle: Atlas E. FAILURE: Premature shut down of one of the Atlas booster engines turned the vehicle around, whereafter the sustainer thrust it back toward the earth.
  • 1980 December 9 - NOSS - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Vehicle: Atlas E. FAILURE: Premature shut down of one of the Atlas booster engines turned the vehicle around, whereafter the sustainer thrust it back toward the earth.

Ocean surveillance; aka White Cloud type spacecraft; Navy Ocean Surveillance Satellite; PARCAE. Other sources give the payload designation ABSAD. The failure was caused by a loss of lubricating oil to one of the booster engines, causing the engine to fail approx 200 milliseconds before it was to have shut down on guidance command. The asymmetric thrust pivoted the booster around approximately 180 degrees, where it stabilized in a retrofire attitude with the sustainer engine still firing. It descended back toward earth through its own exhaust flame and exploded a couple of minutes later.

  • 1980 March 3 - NOSS 3 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Vehicle: Atlas F. Perigee: 1,035 km (643 mi). Apogee: 1,150 km (710 mi). Inclination: 63.00 deg. Period: 107.10 min.

Ocean surveillance; aka White Cloud type spacecraft; Navy Ocean Surveillance Satellite; PARCAE.

  • 1980 March 3 - EP 2 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Vehicle: Atlas F. Perigee: 730 km (450 mi). Apogee: 1,484 km (922 mi). Inclination: 63.40 deg. Period: 107.41 min.
  • 1983 February 9 - NOSS 4 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Vehicle: Atlas H. Perigee: 1,063 km (660 mi). Apogee: 1,186 km (736 mi). Inclination: 63.40 deg. Period: 107.80 min.

Ocean surveillance; aka White Cloud type spacecraft; Navy Ocean Surveillance Satellite; PARCAE.

  • 1983 February 9 - SSB - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Vehicle: Atlas H. Perigee: 733 km (456 mi). Apogee: 1,489 km (925 mi). Inclination: 63.40 deg. Period: 107.42 min.
  • 1983 June 9 - NOSS 5 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Vehicle: Atlas H. Perigee: 1,049 km (651 mi). Apogee: 1,167 km (725 mi). Inclination: 63.40 deg. Period: 107.40 min.

Ocean surveillance; aka White Cloud type spacecraft; Navy Ocean Surveillance Satellite; PARCAE.

  • 1984 February 5 - NOSS 6 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Vehicle: Atlas H. Perigee: 1,052 km (653 mi). Apogee: 1,172 km (728 mi). Inclination: 63.40 deg. Period: 107.00 min.

Ocean surveillance; aka White Cloud type spacecraft; Navy Ocean Surveillance Satellite; PARCAE.

  • 1986 February 9 - USA 15 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Vehicle: Atlas H. Perigee: 1,049 km (651 mi). Apogee: 1,166 km (724 mi). Inclination: 63.00 deg. Period: 107.40 min.

Ocean surveillance; aka White Cloud type spacecraft; Navy Ocean Surveillance Satellite; PARCAE.

  • 1987 May 15 - USA 22 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Vehicle: Atlas H. Perigee: 1,045 km (649 mi). Apogee: 1,179 km (732 mi). Inclination: 62.90 deg. Period: 107.80 min.

Ocean surveillance; aka White Cloud type spacecraft; Navy Ocean Surveillance Satellite; PARCAE.

  • 1993 August 2 - SSU - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Vehicle: Titan 4. FAILURE: Failure. Apogee: 33 km (20 mi).
  • 1993 August 2 - SSU - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Vehicle: Titan 4. FAILURE: Failure. Apogee: 33 km (20 mi).
  • 1993 August 2 - SSU - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Vehicle: Titan 4. FAILURE: Failure. Apogee: 33 km (20 mi).
  • 1993 August 2 - TLD - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Vehicle: Titan 4. FAILURE: Failure. Apogee: 33 km (20 mi).

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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