A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket successfully sent SILENTBARKER/NROL-107 off on its mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Sunday morning, September 10, 2023 for the US Space Force and the National Reconnaissance Office.
According to published budget reviews, “SILENTBARKER will provide the capability to search, detect, and track objects from a space-based sensor for timely custody and event detection.”
The Silent Barker will form a “watchdog” constellation of satellites used for tracking other countries’ activities in geostationary orbit. This this procedure is different from the current method of geostationary tracking that uses ground-based assets that, depending on the weather on the ground, can track objects down to the size of a basketball. Silent Barker can also track smaller objects and continuously observe their position and movement.
UPDATE 2: (Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, September 9, 2023) The launch of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 551 rocket carrying the SILENTBARKER/NROL-107 mission, a joint National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and U.S. Space Force (USSF) mission, has been scrubbed due to an issue found during a prelaunch ordnance circuit continuity check. The launch is now planned for Sunday, September 10 at 8:47 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
UPDATE: (Cape Canaveral Space Force Base, Florida, August 28, 2023) –The launch of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V SILENTBARKER/NROL-107 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) has been delayed due to the impending tropical storm.
Out of an abundance of caution for personnel safety, a critical national security payload and the approaching Tropical Storm Idalia, the team made the decision to return the rocket and payload to the vertical integration facility (VIF). We will work with our customers and the range to confirm our next launch attempt and a new date will be provided once it is safe to launch.
Everything continues to progress towards the ULA Atlas V launch carrying the SILENTBARKER / NROL-107 joint mission for the Office and the United States Space Force. The mission is planned to lift off on Tuesday, August 29 from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Launch is planned for 8:34 a.m. EDT.
A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 551 rocket is launching the SILENTBARKER/NROL-107 mission, a joint National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and U.S. Space Force (USSF) capability to improve space domain awareness. Liftoff will occur from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
Today’s forecast shows an 80 percent chance of favorable weather conditions for launch.
Launch Forecast Summary:
Overall probability of violating weather constraints: 20%
Primary concerns: Cumulus Cloud Rule, Anvil Cloud Rules
Overall probability of violating weather constraints for 24-hour delay: 80%
Primary concern: Cumulus Cloud Rule, Anvil Cloud Rules, Thick Cloud Layers Rule, Ground Winds
A joint NRO and Space Force Space Domain Awareness (SDA) mission, SILENTBARKER/NROL107 meets the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community (IC) space protection needs by providing the capability to search, detect and track objects from a space-based sensor for timely custody and event detection.
Surveillance from space augments and overcomes existing ground sensor limitations with timely 24-hour above-the-weather collection of satellite metric data only possible with a space-based sensor and then communicates its findings to satellite operators, analysts, and other mission users.
The NRO and the USSF have a shared interest to strengthen the nation’s SDA and Indication & Warning (I&W) capabilities to enable timely decision making and unity of effort to defend the DoD and IC critical capabilities against cur
