Just saw this satellite go up on a minotaur IV rocket from Vandenburg AFB, California. The Minotaur IV is made from old peacekeeper ICBMs so it was kinda creepy to see the red light of an ICBM rocket fly across the night sky. According to wikipedia this satellite has the ability to monitor objects in orbit and detect "potential future threats to the united states space assets" and is "designed to examine every spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit at least once a day"
here is the official video of the launch just posted on youtube:
"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKQhVMeeU6s"
It's interesting to me that the US has also launched a bunch of other new objects into space recently including a classified National Reconnaissance Office payload last week, the Boeing X-37B orbital test vehicle and Hypersonic Test Vehicle 2A back in april.
here is an interesting video on the HTV-2A and its alleged failure:
"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwBGoG0DrDQ"
and video about the X-37B now in orbit
"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu9uW0KAbO0"
Seems like they are putting a lot of classified stuff in space these days, I'm thinking some of them are probably space based weapon platforms.
here is the official video of the launch just posted on youtube:
"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKQhVMeeU6s"
It's interesting to me that the US has also launched a bunch of other new objects into space recently including a classified National Reconnaissance Office payload last week, the Boeing X-37B orbital test vehicle and Hypersonic Test Vehicle 2A back in april.
here is an interesting video on the HTV-2A and its alleged failure:
"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwBGoG0DrDQ"
and video about the X-37B now in orbit
"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu9uW0KAbO0"
Seems like they are putting a lot of classified stuff in space these days, I'm thinking some of them are probably space based weapon platforms.
