NSSDCA/COSPAR ID: 1996-029A
This US Navy Ocean Surveillance Satellite (NOSS) was launched from Vandenberg AFB aboard an Atlas E/F rocket. It placed a cluster of one primary satellite and three smaller sub-satellites (that trailed along at distances of several hundred kilometers) into low polar orbit. This satellite array determined the location of radio and radars transmitters, using triangulation, and the identity of naval units, by analysis of the operating frequencies and transmission patterns.
Launch Date: 1996-05-12
Launch Vehicle: Titan IV
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral, United States
Mass: 700 kg
Questions and comments about this spacecraft can be directed to: Coordinated Request and User Support Office