NROL-9
Titan 404B
United States Air Force
Mission
NROL-9 (Misty 2)
Type: Government/Top Secret
This satellite is suspected to be a stealthy electro-optical reconnaissance satellite. The program name for developing an stealth IMINT capability is reportedly “Misty”. Hobbyist satellite observers continue to track an object from that launch in a 2700 km × 3100 km, 63.4° orbit, but detailed orbital analysis reveals significant solar radiation pressure perturbations, from an area to mass ratio of about 0.1 m2/kg, 10 to 20 times that of a payload, and more akin to debris or a decoy, can be deduced. It appears to be no more than 5 to 10 m across, and only a few hundred kilograms in mass. If USA 144 is Misty-2, then it is likely to be in a 700 to 800 km, quasi 65° orbit. These orbits are low-drag, so orbit maintenance manoeuvres are not required.

Location
Space Launch Complex 4E
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
698 rockets have launched from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.

Agency
United States Air Force
Type: Government
Abbreviation: USAF
Country: USA