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USA-207

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Template:Infobox Spacecraft USA-207,[1], international COSPAR code 2009-047A,[2] also known as PAN, officially meaning Palladium At Night,[3] or P360[4] is a classified American communications satellite,[5] which was launched in September 2009. The US government has not confirmed which of its intelligence agencies will operate the satellite.[6] The spacecraft was constructed by Lockheed Martin, and is based on the A2100 satellite bus,[3] using commercial off-the-shelf components.[4] The contract to build PAN was awarded in October 2006, with the satellite initially scheduled to launch 30 months later, in March 2009.[7]

PAN was launched by United Launch Alliance using an Atlas V 401 carrier rocket, with the serial number AV-018. The launch, from Space Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, occurred at 21:35 GMT on 8 September 2009, at the start of a 129 minute launch window.[8] PAN successfully separated from the rocket just under two hours after liftoff.[9]

PAN has shown an unusual history of frequent relocations, moving between at least four different orbital slots since launch: as off early May 2011 it is located at 44.9 deg E.[10], over East Africa.

Launch patch of PAN. Note the questionmark in the exhaust plume
The geostationary satellite PAN (2009-047A), along with two other (commercial) geostationary satellites photographed on 4 July 2011 (photo: Marco Langbroek, Leiden, the Netherlands)

References

  1. ^ McDowell, Jonathan (2009-09-10). "Issue 615". Jonathan's Space Report. Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 2009-09-11.
  2. ^ "Spacewarn Bulletin Issue 671". NASA NSSDC. 2009-09-30. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
  3. ^ a b Day, Dwayne (2009-08-24). "PAN's labyrinth". The Space Review. Retrieved 2009-08-31.
  4. ^ a b "New Horizons" (PDF). Lockheed Martin. December 2007. p. 7 (5 of PDF). Retrieved 2009-09-06.
  5. ^ US Air Force 45th Space Wing (2009-09-04). "Atlas V set for Cape Launch Sept. 8". Florida Today. Retrieved 2009-09-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ Covault, Craig (2009-05-26). "Secret PAN satellite leads Cape milspace launch surge". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 2009-08-31.
  7. ^ "Highlights" (PDF). Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. Spring 2007. pp. 28 (29 of PDF). Retrieved 2009-09-06.
  8. ^ Clark, Stephen. "Worldwide Launch Schedule". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 2009-08-31.
  9. ^ Malik, Tariq (2009-08-30). "Atlas 5 Rocket to Secret Satellite [sic]". Space.com. Archived from the original on 2009-08-31. Retrieved 2009-08-31.
  10. ^ "SatTrackCam". Retrieved 2011-05-09.


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