Program: NOSS

USA

Naval Ocean Surveillance System, also called Parcae, also called Triplet

American military ocean reconnaissance system. The first experimental satellite of this program could be 05678 / 71110A

Whitecloud (1976-1987, 9 satellites)


The NOSS constellation consists of three orbital planes, each containing four satellites flying in formation; a main satellite and three sub-satellites. Some believe that the satellites periodically deploy solar sails to provide the propulsion required to maintain their precise formation flight.
Another theory says the satellites would be connected by long (several km!) wires?

Some of the NOSS launches carried a LIPS (Living Plume Shield) subsatellite. In those cases a jetisonable toroidal plume shield, which protected the satellite from the exhaust of the Star-37E motor, was fittet with some solar-cell experiments.
The use of the Star-37E motor for the NOSS launches is somewhat conjectural, but is performance fits good with the published wights of the NOSS satellites.

Triplet (1990-..., 3 satellites)


Satellites equipped with infrared sensors, built by Martin Marietta, 3600 kg
The cluster could be composed of only the 3 sub-satellites?

NOSS-3

Satellite Date LS Launcher Remarks:
NOSS-3 1A (USA 160, NROL 13) 08.09.2001 Va, SLC-3E Atlas-2AS with NOSS-3 1B
NOSS-3 1B (USA 160-2, NROL 13) 08.09.2001 Va, SLC-3E Atlas-2AS with NOSS-3 1A
NOSS-3 2A (USA 173, NROL 18) 02.12.2003 Va, SLC-3E Atlas-2AS with NOSS-3 2B
NOSS-3 2B (USA 173-2, NROL 18) 02.12.2003 Va, SLC-3E Atlas-2AS with NOSS-3 2A
NOSS-3 3A (USA 181, NROL 23) 03.02.2005 CC, SLC-36B Atlas-3B-SEC with NOSS-3 3B
NOSS-3 3B (USA 181-2, NROL 23) 03.02.2005 CC, SLC-36B Atlas-3B-SEC with NOSS-3 3A
NOSS-3 4A (USA 194, NROL 30) 15.06.2007 CC, SLC-41 Atlas-5(401) Partial launch failure
NOSS-3 5A (USA 229, NROL 34) 15.04.2011 Va, SLC-3E Atlas-5(411) with NOSS-3 5B
NOSS-3 5B (USA 229-2, NROL 34) 15.04.2011 Va, SLC-3E Atlas-5(411) with NOSS-3 5A
NOSS-3 6A (USA ?, NROL 36) 13.09.2012 Va, SLC-3E Atlas-5(401) with NOSS-3 6B
NOSS-3 6B (USA ?, NROL 36) 13.09.2012 Va, SLC-3E Atlas-5(401) with NOSS-3 6A

Ref: #14, #228 - update: 24.09.12