Mentor prog (Advanced Orion)

USA

Mentor, also known as Advanced Orion, is a class of United States spy satellites that collect signals intelligence (SIGINT) from space. Operated by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and developed with input from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), six have been launched from Cape Canaveral on Titan IV and Delta IV rockets since 1995. These satellites collect radio emissions (SIGINT) from geostationary orbits and act as replacements for the older constellation of Magnum/Orion satellites. Observers estimate the satellites weigh close to 5,200 kg and have very large (estimated 100 m diameter) 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 100 m (330 ft). The mission and capabilities of these satellites are highly classified. Earlier satellites with similar missions, the Rhyolite/Aquacade series, were built by TRW; it is not known who made the Mentors.
Code name MENTOR 1-3 was the new unified one serves all SIGINT satellite design successor to the Magnum/Orion, Vortex series the next in a long series of earth orbit NRO/CIA/NSA, SIGINT (signals intelligence) spacecraft used by the CIA/USAF and intelligence Community for a variety of mission. They were launched by the Titan-4A Centaur booster with a total of three MENTOR 1-3 successful launches identified. The spacecraft were actually nothing more than CIA/NSA mission specific sophisticated earth orbit space based earth receiving stations operating over the entire emitted electro magnetic radio spectrum frequency range. The MENTOR 1-3 spacecraft introduced the very large unfurling dish structures “wrap-rib” large deployable bleached white gold colored mesh covered receiving dish antenna design of about 350 feet in diameter with a total spacecraft estimated mass of an estimated 10,000 pounds for the Titan-4A Centaur and 12,700 pounds for the Titan-4B Centaur. MENTOR´s first launch was May 14, 1995 and the second subsequent launch was May 9, 1998 while its third and last launch was on September 9, 2003.
The MENTOR 1-3 series were designed to monitor and pick up from the ground and in flight electronic signals intelligence (ELINT), radio, communications intelligence (COMINT) and radar emitters emissions intelligence (RADINT) in addition to the primary missile test telemetry intelligence (TELINT) acquisitions capabilities all coming under the general SIGINT heading. They were fully dedicated mission operations that were highly successful in acquiring SIGINT through the larger mission general SIGINT “wrap-rib” white gold colored mesh covered reflector dishes. Its primary mission was TELINT intercepts of Soviet missile flight test telemetry traffic across the former Soviet Union missile test ranges out into the Pacific Ocean as well as the equivalent PRC Chinese in country flight tests.
The technology for these SIGINT spacecraft fulfilled the need for larger more sophisticated systems able to do multiple missions at the same time. The technology for these SIGINT spacecraft were slow in coming on line development wise but later proved out highly successfully once the technology was perfected. Like any new technology program it had its issues that slowed its preparation for launch as the missions were revised.
Each gravity gradient stabilized spacecraft was about 350 feet in diameter with the dish attached to gimbals for steering from the command, communication, control and intelligence, power bus. The MENTOR dish did not cover the entire visible surface of the earth but covered more than its MAGNIUM-ORION predecessor and thus the dishes were presumable set on gimbals to monitor specific points or objects of interest such as ballistic missile flight test telemetry. This would thus require several spacecraft to accomplish this monitoring task over the full range of the ICBM´s flight test.
It is presumed that each spacecraft rear bus carried one or two solar arrays with at least one down link communications dish each. The large SIGINT spacecraft was carried into earth orbit by the TITAN-4A Centaur in its longer 85.86 foot long by 16.67 foot diameter payload Shroud. Part of the spacecraft which housed the forward bus mounted sophisticated receiving feed horns with log periodic antennas collecting the earth based signals reflected off the larger “Wrap-Ribbed” supported white gold mesh covered SIGINT dish. These log periodic antenna farms were also located just above spacecraft rear bus in the hub area.

Mentor satellite

Application:	ELINT
Operator:	USAF
Configuration:	Large Dish Antenna, 3-Axis-Stabilization

Satellite	Launch Date	Launch Site	Launcher	Location
Mentor 1 (USA 110)	14 May 1995	CC, LC-40	Titan-4(01)A Centaur-T	127°E
Mentor 2 (USA 139, NROL 6)	09 May 1998	CC, LC-40	Titan-4(01)A Centaur-T	44°E (1198-2009) 14.5°W (2009- )
Mentor 3 (USA 171, NROL 19)	09 Sept 2003	CC, LC-40	Titan-4(01)A Centaur-T	95.5°E
Mentor 4 (USA 202, NROL 26)	18 Jan 2009	CC, LC-37B	Delta-4H	44°E
Mentor 5 (USA 223, NROL 32)	21 Nov 2010	CC, LC-37B	Delta-4H	100.9°E
Mentor 6 (USA 237, NROL 15)	29 Jun 2012	CC, LC-37B	Delta-4H (upgr)
Mentor 7 (USA 268, NROL-37, Orion 9)	11 Jun 2016	CC, LC-37B	Delta-4H (upgr)

Ref.: #12, #14, #98, #208 - update: 25.06.16

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