HushSat Launched

Quiet…Sssshhhhhh… on December 10th at Cape Canaveral, a secret National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) spacecraft was pushed into space aboard an Atlas V rocket. Known as Scorpius/NROL-24, the combo U.S.A.F. and United Launch Alliance mission propelled a Boeing Satellite Data System (SDS) relay satellite into orbit. The cone of silence descended upon the launch commentary about 04:35 into the flight. The launch parameters remain secret but we do know it will be moved into a highly elliptical orbit with a 63° inclination. This new sat replaces one launched back in July of 1996 via a Titan IV from Lockheed Martin. This launch was made possible due to the cancellation of the space shuttle Atlantis mission, with the eastern range reconfigured for the Atlas within 24 hours by the U.S.A.F.’s 45th Space Wing. SDS craft relay images and other crucial data captured by NRO spacecraft and forward to intelligence processing facilities. Despite the national proprietary and secret nature of the craft and mission, a Russian RD-180 engine powered the rocket off the launch pad.