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Launch SuccessfulLockheed Martin

Atlas IIAS: NROL-13

NOSS-3 (Naval Ocean Surveillance System), which is likely not the official designation, is the third generation of NOSS satellites, which are low orbit SIGINT satellites. In 2013, the designation Intruder leaked out. These satellites carry equipment to track ships and aircraft via their radio transmissions. Positions of the origin of the transmissions are determined by triangulation. Each launch consists of two satellites of similar size in the same orbit. Both satellites maneuver to stationkeep relative to one another.

Saturday, 8 September 2001
Atlas IIAS

Mission Data

Launch VehicleAtlas IIAS
Vehicle FamilyAtlas
Vehicle Record30 of 30 launches (100%)
Launch Provider🇺🇸 Lockheed Martin
Provider TypeCommercial
Agency Record77 successes / 3 failures (96%)
Success Streak38 consecutive
Mission TypeGovernment/Top Secret
Target OrbitLow Earth Orbit
Launch PadSpace Launch Complex 3E
Location🇺🇸 Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA USA
Orbital Launches This Year#40
Agency Launches This Year#3
Launches From This Pad48
Launches From This Site923
Status Note

The launch vehicle successfully inserted its payload(s) into the target orbit(s).

About Atlas IIAS

Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. It was designed to launch payloads into low earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II the most reliable launch system in history.

Launch Site

Space Launch Complex 3E · 34.6400°N 120.5895°W

Launch data from Launch Library 2 by The Space Devs.