ULA rolls out Atlas V rocket for classified government launch

by Danielle Haynes
Washington DC (UPI) Aug 25, 2023
United Launch Alliance rolled out an Atlas V rocket Friday in preparation for next week's planned launch of a classified space surveillance mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The ULA conducted Friday's movements in partnership with the U.S. Space Force and the National Reconnaissance Office. The NRO contracted ULA in 2019 to produce the Atlas V rocket and carry out mission integration, mission launch operations and other activities.

The launch is scheduled to take place at 8:34 a.m. EDT on Tuesday.

"Our Atlas V rocket has arrived at its Cape Canaveral pad for Tuesday's launch of a new national security capability, called SILENTBARKER/NROL-107, that will advance our Space Domain Awareness against threats in orbit," ULA said in a statement on its website.

"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."

Because the mission is classified, the government hasn't provided many details about the contents of the payload or the scope of its capabilities.

The NRO describes Silentbarker/NROL-107 as "a joint NRO and U.S. Space Force space domain awareness mission to meet Department of Defense and intelligence community space protection needs."

The ULA has launched 17 Atlas V rockets as part of NRO missions, with Tuesday's planned event being the 18th and final from Cape Canaveral, according to the NRO. In addition to the powerful Atlas V rocket, the mission will include the Centaur upper stage, a liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen-fueled vehicle that produces 106 kilo-Newtons of thrust.

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Artificial Intelligence Analysis

Defense Industry Analyst: 10/10

Stock Market Analyst: 7/10

General Industry Analyst: 8/10

Analyst

Summary

:

On Friday, United Launch Alliance (ULA) rolled out an Atlas V rocket in preparation for a classified space surveillance mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The mission, called Silentbarker NROL 107, was contracted by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and will be launched at 8:34 a.m. EDT on Tuesday. The mission is designed to advance the U.S. Space Forces Space Domain Awareness against threats in orbit, augmenting and overcoming existing ground sensor limitations with timely 24-hour satellite metric data. The mission is classified, so there are no public details about the contents of the payload or the scope of its capabilities. The NRO describes Silentbarker NROL 107 as a joint mission to meet Department of Defense and intelligence community space protection needs. The launch will include the powerful Atlas V rocket and the Centaur upper stage, a liquid hydrogen liquid oxygen fueled vehicle that produces 106 kilo Newtons of thrust. This launch is the 18th and final Atlas V mission from Cape Canaveral.

Over the past 25 years, there has been an increase in the number of launches carried out by the ULA, in partnership with the U.S. Space Force and the NRO. This increase in launches has been driven by the need to enhance the US’ Space Domain Awareness and detect potential threats in orbit. Compared to other defense industry trends over the past 25 years, this mission is consistent with the need for increased surveillance and intelligence gathering in space.

Investigative

Question:

• 1. What is the timeline for the launch of Silentbarker NROL 107?

• 2. What are the implications of the mission for U.S. Space Force’s Space Domain Awareness?

• 3.

How will Silentbarker NROL 107 be different from other NRO launches?

4. What are the data collection capabilities of the Atlas V rocket and Centaur upper stage?

5. How will the launch of Silentbarker NROL 107 compare to other ULA launches in terms of cost and complexity?

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