Mentor 4

Also called: USA-202, NROL-26

Designation	33490 / 09001A
Launch date	18 Jan 2009 - 02:47 UT
Launch site	CC, SLC-37B
Launch vehicle	Delta-4H
Mission	Military: Surveillance, Sigint
Geostationary orbit on:
Perigee / Apogee	35714 x 35937 km
Eccentricity	2,64E-03
Inclination	2.89 deg
Period	1438.8 min

Prime contractor	National Reconnaissance Laboratory (?)
Platform
Operator	National Reconnaissance Office
Mass at launch	5000? kg
Dry Mass	kg
Basic shape
Dimension (m)
Solar array
Stabilization
DC power
Design lifetime	Still active

Date	Position	Remarks
	44° E

Secret launch NRO L-26 for the National Reconnaissance Office took off on a Delta 4 Heavy from complex 37B at Cape Canaveral on Jan 18. The payload was designated USA 202. Analysts suggest it was probably placed in geostationary orbit and is a new large-diameter-antenna signals intelligence satellite in the series whose earlier codenames were RHYOLITE, AQUACADE, MAGNUM, and ORION.
The Delta 4 final stage (33492/09001B) has been found by indepedent observers in a 35943 x 38077 km x 3.0 deg near-synchronous orbit.

Ref.: #6n, #7(JR605), #225(09.01), #226 - update: 11.02.12