Orion (satellite)


Orion, also known as Mentor or Advanced Orion, is a class of United States spy satellites that collect signals intelligence from space. Operated by the National Reconnaissance Office and developed with input from the Central Intelligence Agency, five have been launched from Cape Canaveral on Titan IV and Delta IV rockets since 1995.
These satellites collect radio emissions from geostationary orbits and act as replacements for the older constellation of Magnum satellites. Observers estimate the satellites weigh close to 5,200 kg and have very large radio reflecting dishes. NRO L-32, which is seen as the fifth satellite in the series, is according to NRO director Bruce Carlson " the largest satellite in the world". It is believed that this refers to the diameter of the main antenna, which might be well in excess of. The mission and capabilities of these satellites are highly classified, though targets may include telemetry, VHF radio, cellular mobile phones, paging signals, and mobile data links. Earlier satellites with similar missions, the Rhyolite/Aquacade series, were built by TRW; it is not known who made the Orion satellites.

Satellites

MENTOR 4 deployment and initial westward drift after launch in January 2009 was controlled by the Alice Springs Mission Ground Station. About 60 days after launch Menwith Hill Ground Station was to take over control, and initiate the collection mission. MENTOR 4's initial mission was to survey line-of-sight microwave towers and emitters in the People's Republic of China for 30 to 45 days as it was drifting from east to west. Moving further west, it was to collect data from the Thuraya network, and monitor Pakistan and Afghanistan, followed by another 200 days of monitoring of the PRC. This was to be followed by data collection covering the middle East, Northern Africa, and Latin America.
NameCOSPAR ID
SATCAT №		Launch date
Launch vehicleLaunch siteLaunch designationLongitudeRemarks
USA-11014 May 1995
13:45:01		Titan IVACCAFS SLC-40N/A127°EMENTOR 1
USA-1399 May 1998
01:38:01		Titan IVBCCAFS SLC-40NROL-6
14.5°W 		MENTOR 2
USA-1719 September 2003
04:29:00		Titan IVBCCAFS SLC-40NROL-1995.5°EMENTOR 3
USA-20218 January 2009
02:47		Delta IV HeavyCCAFS SLC-37BNROL-2644°EMENTOR 4
USA-22321 November 2010
22:58:00		Delta IV HeavyCCAFS SLC-37BNROL-32100.9°EMENTOR 5
USA-23729 June 2012
13:15		Delta IV HeavyCCAFS SLC-37BNROL-1589.21°EMENTOR 6
USA-26811 June 2016
17:51		Delta IV HeavyCCAFS SLC-37BNROL-37104.18°EMENTOR 7