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USA-225

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USA-225
Spacecraft properties
NROL-66, carrying advanced dosimeters, during ground processing

Mission type	Technology
Operator	NRO
COSPAR ID	2011-006A
SATCAT no.	37364


Launch mass	350 kilograms (770 lb)^[1]


Start of mission
Launch date	6 February 2011, 12:26 (2011-02-06UTC12:26Z) UTC^[2]
Rocket	Minotaur I SLV-10
Launch site	Vandenberg SLC-8
Contractor	Orbital Sciences


Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Low Earth
Perigee altitude	1,202 kilometers (747 mi)
Apogee altitude	1,230 kilometers (760 mi)
Inclination	90 degrees
Period	109.76 minutes
Epoch	6 February 2011^[3]

USA-225, also known as the Rapid Pathfinder Prototype (RPP) and NRO Launch 66 (NROL-66), is an American satellite which was launched in 2011. The satellite is being used to perform technology demonstration and development experiments, including advanced dosimeters to characterize the space environment from a 1,200 kilometer low Earth orbit.^[4] It is operated by the United States National Reconnaissance Office.^[5]

Rapid Pathfinder was developed for less than US$20 million over a period of less than two years. Its dimensions are 0.5 m times 0.5 m times 0.5 m, and its mass including payload is 235 kg.^[4]

AMinotaur I carrier rocket was used to launch USA-225, flying from Space Launch Complex 8 of the Vandenberg Air Force Base. The launch of was originally scheduled for March 2011; however, it was subsequently moved forwards to 5 February.^[6] During the attempt to launch on 5 February 2011, a transmitter malfunctioned, and the launch attempt was scrubbed. Another attempt was scheduled for the next day. At 12:26 on 6 February 2011, the Minotaur lifted off, carrying USA-225 into orbit.^[7] The launch was conducted by Orbital Sciences Corporation.

For launch, the RPP satellite was given the designation NRO Launch 66, or NROL-66. Upon reaching orbit it was named USA-225 in accordance with the usual naming system for American military spacecraft. The satellite received the International Designator 2011-006A, and the Satellite Catalog Number 37364.^[8]

References[edit]

^ "UCS Satellite Database". Union of Concerned Scientists. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2013.

^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 30 November 2013.

^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 30 November 2013.

^ ^a ^b Carlson, Bruce (8 August 2011). "NRO's Historical, Current, and Potential Use of Small Satellites" (PDF). NRO. Retrieved 26 August 2011.

^ Krebs, Gunter. "RPP". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 9 February 2011.

^ "Launch Log". Tracking Station. Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 9 February 2011.

^ Clark, Stephen (6 February 2011). "Classified satellite climbs to space on Minotaur rocket". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 9 February 2011.

^ "USA 225 Satellite details 2011-006A NORAD 37364". N2YO. Retrieved 9 February 2011.

National Reconnaissance Office satellite launches

L-1
L-2
L-3
L-4
L-5
L-6
L-7
L-8
L-9
L-10
L-11
L-12
L-13
L-14
L-15
L-16
L-17
L-18
L-19
L-20
L-21
L-22
L-23
L-24
L-25
L-26
L-27
L-28
L-29
L-30
L-31
L-32
L-33
L-34
L-35
L-36
L-37
L-38
L-39
L-40
L-41
L-42
...
L-45
L-47
L-49
L-55
L-61
L-65
L-66
L-67
L-79

v t e ← 2010 Orbital launches in 2011 2012 →
January	Elektro-L No.1 USA-224 Kounotori 2 Progress M-09M (Kedr)
February	Kosmos 2470 USA-225 Johannes Kepler ATV STS-133 (Leonardo) Kosmos 2471
March	Glory, Explorer-1 [Prime], KySat-1, Hermes USA-226 USA-227
April	Soyuz TMA-21 Compass-IGSO3 USA-229 Resourcesat-2, YouthSat, X-Sat Yahsat 1A, New Dawn Progress M-10M
May	Meridian 4 USA-230 STS-134 (AMS-02, ELC-3) Telstar 14R ST-2, GSAT-8 / INSAT-4G
June	Soyuz TMA-02M SAC-D Rasad 1 ChinaSat 10 Progress M-11M Kosmos 2472 USA-231
July	Shijian XI-03 STS-135 (Raffaello, PSSC-2) Tianlian I-02 Globalstar M083, Globalstar M088, Globalstar M091, Globalstar M085, Globalstar M081, Globalstar M089 GSAT-12 SES-3, KazSat-2 USA-232 Spektr-R Compass-IGSO4 Shijian XI-02
August	Juno Astra 1N, BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R Paksat-1R Hai Yang 2A Sich 2, NigeriaSat-2, NigeriaSat-X, RASAT, EduSAT, AprizeSat-5, AprizeSat-6, BPA-2 Ekspress-AM4 Shijian XI-04 Progress M-12M
September	GRAIL-A , GRAIL-B Zhongxing-1A Kosmos 2473 Arabsat 5C, SES-2 IGS Optical 4 Atlantic Bird 7 TacSat-4 Tiangong-1 QuetzSat 1
October	Kosmos 2474 / GLONASS-M 742 Intelsat 18 Eutelsat 16A Megha-Tropiques, SRMSAT, VesselSat-1, Jugnu ViaSat-1 Galileo-IOV FM1 , Galileo-IOV FM2 NPP, AubieSat-1, DICE-1, DICE-2, M-Cubed, RAX-2 Progress M-13M Shenzhou 8
November	Kosmos 2475 , Kosmos 2476 , Kosmos 2477 Fobos-Grunt , Yinghuo-1 Yaogan 12 , Tian Xun-1 Soyuz TMA-22 Shiyan Weixing 4 , Chuang Xin 1C AsiaSat 7 Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity) Kosmos 2478 Yaogan 13
December	Compass-IGSO5 Amos-5, Luch 5A IGS Radar 3 Pléiades-HR 1A, SSOT, ELISA 1, ELISA 2, ELISA 3, ELISA 4 NigComSat-1R Soyuz TMA-03M Ziyuan-1C Meridian 5 Globalstar M080, Globalstar M082, Globalstar M084, Globalstar M086, Globalstar M090, Globalstar M092
Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).

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