USA-229

USA-229, known before launch as NRO Launch 34 (NROL-34), is a pair of American signals intelligence satellites which were launched in 2011. They are operated by the United States National Reconnaissance Office.

Both satellites were deployed by a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 411 launch vehicle, which launched from SLC-3E at the Vandenberg Air Force Base. The launch occurred at 04:24 UTC on 15 April 2011.[2] The rocket placed the satellites into a low Earth orbit. By 04:29 UTC, official updates on the status of the spacecraft had been discontinued.[3]

Whilst details of the satellites and their missions are officially classified, amateur observers have identified that the Atlas V deployed two satellites, one of which has officially been catalogued as debris. The two spacecraft have been identified as being a pair of third or fourth generation Naval Ocean Surveillance System satellites.[4] Amateur observations have located the spacecraft in an orbit with a perigee of 1,015 kilometres (631 mi) and an apogee of 1,207 kilometres (750 mi), inclined at 63.46° to the plane of the equator.[2] Current generation NOSS satellites are always launched and operated in pairs,[5] and are used to locate and track ships and aircraft from the radio transmissions that they emit.[6]