Launch Success
Liftoff Time (GMT)
15:25:05
Saturday September 8, 2001
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.
2 Payloads
Agency
LockheedRocket
Height: 47.5m
Payload to Orbit
LEO: 8,618 kg
GTO: 3,933 kg
Liftoff Thrust
2,957 Kilonewtons
Stages
2
Strap-ons
4
54th
Mission
3rd
Mission of 2001
40th
Orbital launch attempt