Mission type ELINT COSPAR ID 2009-001A Spacecraft type Orion Inclination 3.69° Period 24 hours Launch date 18 January 2009 | Operator NRO SATCAT no. 33490 Rocket Delta IV Heavy Inclination 3.69° Apogee 35.809 million m Contractor United Launch Alliance | |
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Similar USA‑205, USA‑207, USA‑211, Nanosat‑1B, Progress M‑66 | ||
USA 202, previously NRO Launch 26 or NROL-26, is a classified spacecraft which is to be operated by the United States National Reconnaissance Office. It is an Advanced Orion ELINT satellite. According to Aviation Week it, "Fundamentally involves America's biggest, most secret and expensive military spacecraft on board the world's largest rocket." The combined cost of the spacecraft and launch vehicle has been estimated to be over US$2 billion.
Amateur astronomer observations suspected the satellite was dedicatedly eavesdropping on Thuraya 2 and this was reported to be confirmed by documents released on Sep 9, 2016 by the Intercept as part of the Snowden Files.
Launch
USA-202 was launched from Space Launch Complex 37B at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, on the third flight of a Delta IV Heavy rocket. The launch was originally scheduled for 2005, but was delayed due to a number of issues, and lift-off took place at 02:47 GMT on 18 January 2009.