 | |
| Names | NRO Launch 41 NROL-41 Gladys |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Imaging radar |
| Operator | National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) |
| COSPAR ID | 2010-046A |
| SATCATno. | 37162 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | FIA Radar |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 21 September 2010, 04:03:30UTC |
| Rocket | Atlas V 501 s/n AV-025 |
| Launch site | Vandenberg,SLC-3E |
| Contractor | United Launch Alliance (ULA) |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit[1] |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit (retrograde) |
| Perigee altitude | 1,103 km (685 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 1,105 km (687 mi) |
| Inclination | 122.99° |
| Period | 107.35 minutes |
USA-215, also known asNRO Launch 41 orNROL-41, is an Americanreconnaissance satellite, operated by theNational Reconnaissance Office (NRO). Launched in 2010, it has been identified as the first in a new series ofimaging radar satellites, developed as part of theFuture Imagery Architecture (FIA) programme,[2] to replace the earlierLacrosse spacecraft.
USA-215 was launched by anAtlas Vlaunch vehicle, flying in the 501 configuration, operated byUnited Launch Alliance (ULA). The rocket was launched fromSpace Launch Complex 3E at theVandenberg Air Force Base, at 04:03:30 UTC on 21 September 2010.[3] It was identified as NRO Launch 41, and was the twenty-third flight of an Atlas V; the vehicle had the tail number AV-025, and was namedGladys.[4]
The satellite's orbit and mission are officially classified; however, it has been located by amateur observers in aretrogradelow Earth orbit. As of 14 February 2021, it was in an orbit with a perigee of 1,103 km (685 mi), an apogee of 1,105 km (687 mi) and 122.99° oforbital inclination.[1]
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