On September 10, a department of the Pentagon Space Forces (US Space Force) launched a rocket with a cargo of NROL-107, which put several spy satellites into Earth orbit. These satellites play an important role in ensuring security in outer space, reconnaissance and prevention of potential threats.
The Atlas V rocket with an unknown number of satellites was launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida. Its launch was part of an extremely secret mission from the National Reconnaissance Office, coordinated by the National Intelligence Agency. The main purpose of these satellites is the exploration and monitoring of any potential threats in outer space.
These satellites are designed to be placed in a high geosynchronous orbit, which is commonly used by military and meteorological satellites. This orbit allows the satellites to maintain a stable position and effectively perform their functions from a great height above the Earth’s surface.
“The idea of the mission is to put a satellite in geosynchronous orbit, and then to be looking at that orbital regime. We also want to know if there is something going on that is unexpected, or shouldn’t be going on that could potentially represent a threat to a high-value asset, either ours or one of our allies,” NRU Director Chris Scolese told CBS News.
Silent Barker Secret Mission
The launch of the rocket and the placement of satellites are a kind of response to the intensification of competition between world powers in the struggle for supremacy in space and with the help of spy spacecraft. The news about the active work of Russia and China in the field of anti-satellite technologies also causes concern among the official representatives of the Space Forces.
Although a significant part of the tasks of these satellites and the details of the mission remain secret, representatives of the Space Forces do not hesitate to say that the satellites will be aimed at improving surveillance in the “geo belt”. This region is located at a distance of more than 35 thousand km from the equator of the Earth. This secret mission is known by the code name Silent Barker.
Space eyes high in the sky
As the commander of the Space Systems Command for the U.S. Space Force, Michael Guetlein, noted in an interview with CBS News, one of the key functions of this task was the ability to deter opponents by controlling outer space.
“So we actually want our competitors to know that we have eyes in geo, that we can see what’s happening. Not only are we going to maintain the custody and the ability to detect what’s going on in geo, but we’ll have the indications and warnings to know there’s something out of the normal occurring. And that goes a long way towards deterrence,” explains Guetlein.
According to CBS News, more satellites will be added to existing satellites in the future. Government agencies are striving to achieve full functionality of the spy spacecraft system by 2026, which will certainly intensify the arms race in space and emphasize the importance of security in this area.
Earlier, we reported on how the launch of a spy satellite of North Korea ended in an accident.
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