Naval Ocean Surveillance System Explained

The Naval Ocean Surveillance System (NOSS) is a series of signals-intelligence satellites that have conducted electronic signals intelligence for the U.S. Navy since the early 1970s.[1] The first series of satellites were codenamed "White Cloud" or "PARCAE", while second- and third-generation satellites have used the codenames "Ranger" and "Intruder". According to the Union of Concerned Scientists in 2023, the system may be called the Space-Based Wide Area Surveillance System (SB-WASS).[2]

The system is operated by the United States Navy, and its main purpose was tactical geolocation of Soviet Navy assets during the Cold War. NOSS involves satellite clusters operating in low Earth orbit to detect radar and other electronic transmissions from ships at sea and locate them using the time difference of arrival technique.[3]

Satellites

NameIDLaunch dateLaunch vehicleLaunch siteNROL designationPerigeeApogeeInclinationRemarks

First generation

1976-038C30 April 1976Atlas E/F-MSDVAFB, SLC-3WN/A1,092 km 1,128 km 63.5°Dispenser designated OPS 6431 and catalogued as 1976-038A.
OPS 6431 SSU-21976-038D
OPS 6431 SSU-31976-038J
OPS 8781 SSU-11977-112D8 December 1977Atlas E/F-MSDVAFB, SLC-3W1,054 km 1,169 km 63.4°Dispenser designated OPS 8781 and catalogued as 1977-112A.
OPS 8781 SSU-21977-112E
OPS 8781 SSU-31977-112F
OPS 7245 SSU-11980-019C3 March 1980Atlas E/F-MSDVAFB, SLC-3W1,035 km 1,150 km 63.0°Dispenser designated OPS 7245 and catalogued as 1980-019A.
OPS 7245 SSU-21980-019D
OPS 7245 SSU-31980-019G
OPS 3255 SSU-1N/A9 December 1980Atlas E/F-MSDVAFB, SLC-3WFailed to orbit Dispenser designated OPS 3255, loss of control after engine failure, followed by explosion.
OPS 3255 SSU-2N/A
OPS 3255 SSU-3N/A
OPS 0252 SSU-11983-008E9 February 1983Atlas H-MSDVAFB, SLC-3E1,063 km 1,186 km 63.40°Dispenser designated OPS 0252 and catalogued as 1983-008A.
OPS 0252 SSU-21983-008F
OPS 0252 SSU-31983-008H
OPS 6432 SSU-11983-056C9 June 1983Atlas H-MSDVAFB, SLC-3E851 km 1,363 km 63.4°Dispenser designated OPS 6432 and catalogued as 1983-056A.
OPS 6432 SSU-21983-056D
OPS 6432 SSU-31983-056G
OPS 8737 SSU-11984-012C5 February 1984Atlas H-MSDVAFB, SLC-3E1,052 km 1,172 km 63.4°Dispenser designated OPS 8737 and catalogued as 1984-012A.
OPS 8737 SSU-21984-012D
OPS 8737 SSU-31984-012F
USA-161986-014E9 February 1986Atlas H-MSDVAFB, SLC-3E1,049 km 1,166 km 63.0°Dispenser designated USA-15 and catalogued as 1986-014A.
USA-171986-014F
USA-181986-014H
USA-231987-043E15 May 1987 Atlas H-MSDVAFB, SLC-3E1,045 km 1,179 km 62.9°Dispenser designated USA-22 and catalogued as 1987-043A.
USA-241987-043F
USA-261987-043H

Second generation

USA-601990-050E8 June 1990 CCAFS, LC-41N/A1,071 km 1,146 km 63.4°Dispenser designated USA-59 and catalogued as 1990-050A.
USA-611990-050F
USA-621990-050H
USA-741991-076C8 November 1991Titan IV(403)AVAFB, SLC-4E1,052 km 1,164 km 63.4°Dispenser designated USA-72 and catalogued as 1991-076A.
USA-761991-076D
USA-771991-076E
UnnamedN/A2 August 1993Titan IV(403)AVAFB, SLC-4EFailed to orbit Exploded due to crack in solid rocket motor caused by poor repair.
UnnamedN/A
UnnamedN/A
USA-1191996-029A12 May 1996Titan IV(403)AVAFB, SLC-4E1,050 km 1,166 km 63.4°Dispenser designated USA-122 and catalogued as 1996-029D.
USA-1201996-029B
USA-1211996-029C

Third generation

USA-1602001-040A8 September 2001Atlas IIASVAFB, SLC-3ENROL-131,100 km 1,100 km 63.0°
Unnamed2001-040C
USA-1732003-054A2 December 2003Atlas IIASVAFB, SLC-3ENROL-181,013 km 1,200 km 63.4°
Unnamed2003-054C
USA-1812005-004A3 February 2005Atlas IIIBNROL-231,011 km 1,209 km 63.4°
Unnamed2005-004C
USA-1942007-027A15 June 2007Atlas V 401CCAFS, SLC-41NROL-301,053 km 1,163 km 63.4°Launched into lower orbit than planned, spacecraft corrected under own power, at expense of operational life.
Unnamed2007-027C
USA-2292011-014A15 April 2011Atlas V 411VAFB, SLC-3ENROL-341,015 km 1,207 km 63.46°
Unnamed2011-014B
USA-2382012-048A13 September 2012Atlas V 401VAFB, SLC-3ENROL-361,056 km 1,158 km 63.4°
Unnamed2012-048P
USA-2642015-058A8 October 2015Atlas V 401VAFB, SLC-3ENROL-551,013 km 1,201 km 63.4°
Unnamed2015-058R
USA-2742017-011A1 March 2017Atlas V 401VAFB, SLC-3ENROL-791,010 km 1,204 km 63.4°
Unnamed2017-011B
USA-3272022-040A17 April 2022Falcon 9 Block 5CCAFS, SLC-40NROL-851,100 km1,100 km63.4°Launched.
UnnamedNot catalogued

data from https://web.archive.org/web/20111011061757/http://www.astronautix.com/craft/noss.htm, https://web.archive.org/web/20081121003559/http://www.planet4589.org/space/jsr/back/news.163

Cost

The costs of the NOSS satellites (excluding costs for the launch vehicle), which were destroyed in a Titan IV launch failure in 1993, were US$800 million (inflation adjusted US$ billion in).[4]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Display: SSU 1/2 1976-038C . NASA . 14 May 2020 . 29 October 2020.
  2. https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/satellite-database
  3. Web site: NOSS Double and Triple Satellite Formations . satobs.org.
  4. Web site: Titan Lost Payload: Spy-Satellite System Worth $800 Million. 1993-08-04. The New York Times. Tim. Weiner.