USA-227 - Misplaced Pages

American communications satellite

USA-227
Spacecraft properties
Names	NROL-27 NRO Launch 27

Mission type	Communication
Operator	NRO
COSPAR ID	2011-011A
SATCAT no.	37377


Spacecraft type	SDS-3


Start of mission
Launch date	11 March 2011, 23:38:00 UTC
Rocket	Delta IV-M+(4,2) (Delta D353)
Launch site	Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B
Contractor	United Launch Alliance


Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric orbit
Regime	Geosynchronous orbit
Longitude	30.4° West

USA-227, known before launch as NRO Launch 27 (NROL-27), is an American communications satellite which was launched in 2011. It is operated by the United States National Reconnaissance Office.

Launch

United Launch Alliance (ULA) performed the launch of USA-227, using a Delta IV-M+(4,2) launch vehicle flying from Space Launch Complex 37B at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS). The launch occurred at 23:38:00 UTC on 11 March 2011. Following liftoff the rocket flew east, placing the satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. By 23:43 UTC, official updates on the status of the launch had been discontinued.

Mission

Whilst details of its mission are officially classified, amateur observers have identified USA-227 as being a third-generation Satellite Data System satellite in geosynchronous orbit. The first amateur observation of the satellite was made on 6 April 2011, when the spacecraft was located at a longitude of 30.4° west. SDS satellites are used to relay data from American reconnaissance satellites to ground stations.

References

McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
Ray, Justin. "Mission Status Center". Delta Mission Report. Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
Ray, Justin (11 April 2011). "Information-routing satellite was deployed by Delta 4". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
Wakelin, Peter (7 April 2011). "SATOBS 2011 April 06-07". SeeSat-L. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
^ Ted, Molczan (9 April 2011). "NROL-27 / USA 227". SeeSat-L. Retrieved 24 April 2011.

v t e National Reconnaissance Office satellite launches
L-1 L-2 L-3 L-4 L-5 L-6 L-7 L-8 L-9 L-10 L-11 L-12 L-13 L-14 L-15 L-16 L-17 L-18 L-19 L-20 L-21 L-22 L-23 L-24 L-25 L-26 L-27 L-28 L-29 L-30 L-31 L-32 L-33 L-34 L-35 L-36 L-37 L-38 L-39 L-40 L-41 L-42 ... L-45 L-47 L-49 L-55 L-61 L-65 L-66 L-67 L-79

v t e ← 2010 Orbital launches in 2011 2012 →
January	Elektro-L No.1 USA-224 Kounotori 2 Progress M-09M (Kedr)
February	Kosmos 2470 USA-225 Johannes Kepler ATV STS-133 (Leonardo) Kosmos 2471
March	Glory, Explorer-1 , KySat-1, Hermes USA-226 USA-227
April	Soyuz TMA-21 Compass-IGSO3 USA-229 Resourcesat-2, YouthSat, X-Sat Yahsat 1A, New Dawn Progress M-10M
May	Meridian 4 USA-230 STS-134 (AMS-02, ELC-3) Telstar 14R ST-2, GSAT-8 / INSAT-4G
June	Soyuz TMA-02M SAC-D Rasad 1 ChinaSat 10 Progress M-11M Kosmos 2472 USA-231
July	Shijian XI-03 STS-135 (Raffaello, PSSC-2) Tianlian I-02 Globalstar M083, Globalstar M088, Globalstar M091, Globalstar M085, Globalstar M081, Globalstar M089 GSAT-12 SES-3, KazSat-2 USA-232 Spektr-R Compass-IGSO4 Shijian XI-02
August	Juno Astra 1N, BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R Paksat-1R Hai Yang 2A Sich 2, NigeriaSat-2, NigeriaSat-X, RASAT, EduSAT, AprizeSat-5, AprizeSat-6, BPA-2 Ekspress-AM4 Shijian XI-04 Progress M-12M
September	GRAIL-A , GRAIL-B Zhongxing-1A Kosmos 2473 Arabsat 5C, SES-2 IGS Optical 4 Atlantic Bird 7 TacSat-4 Tiangong-1 QuetzSat 1
October	Kosmos 2474 / GLONASS-M 742 Intelsat 18 Eutelsat 16A Megha-Tropiques, SRMSAT, VesselSat-1, Jugnu ViaSat-1 Galileo-IOV FM1 , Galileo-IOV FM2 NPP, AubieSat-1, DICE-1, DICE-2, M-Cubed, RAX-2 Progress M-13M Shenzhou 8
November	Kosmos 2475 , Kosmos 2476 , Kosmos 2477 Fobos-Grunt , Yinghuo-1 Yaogan 12 , Tian Xun-1 Soyuz TMA-22 Shiyan Weixing 4 , Chuang Xin 1C AsiaSat 7 Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity) Kosmos 2478 Yaogan 13
December	Compass-IGSO5 Amos-5, Luch 5A IGS Radar 3 Pléiades-HR 1A, SSOT, ELISA 1, ELISA 2, ELISA 3, ELISA 4 NigComSat-1R Soyuz TMA-03M Ziyuan-1C Meridian 5 Globalstar M080, Globalstar M082, Globalstar M084, Globalstar M086, Globalstar M090, Globalstar M092
Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).

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