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U.S. rocket lifts off on secret mission
Reuters ^ | 06/15/07

Posted on 06/15/2007 5:13:39 PM PDT by nypokerface

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - An unmanned heavy-lift Atlas 5 rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Thursday to put a secret payload into orbit.

The rocket, built by Lockheed Martin Corp. and marketed under a new Lockheed-Boeing Co. joint venture called United Launch Alliance, lifted off at 11:12 a.m. EDT (1512 GMT) and headed out over the Atlantic Ocean.

The launch was for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office, which develops and operates the nation's spy satellites.

Details about the rocket's destination and payload were not released. The industry trade magazine Aviation Week and Space Technology reported in April that the Atlas rocket would carry a pair of ocean surveillance satellites.

The launch was the first Atlas V flight for the National Reconnaissance Office. All nine previous flights of the Atlas V have been successful.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 06/15/2007 5:13:41 PM PDT by nypokerface
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To: nypokerface

Shhhhh.


2 posted on 06/15/2007 5:15:02 PM PDT by SIDENET ("Baby steps to the elevator...")
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To: nypokerface

wow, really secret...didn’t know FR was cleared for this kind of info....


3 posted on 06/15/2007 5:15:56 PM PDT by mockingbyrd (peace begins in the womb)
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To: nypokerface

Ha,ha, another well kept secret !!!


4 posted on 06/15/2007 5:17:25 PM PDT by Obie Wan
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To: nypokerface

Not accurate as usual. Launch was postponed on Thursday and lifted off at 11:04 Friday morning. I watched it go.


5 posted on 06/15/2007 5:17:46 PM PDT by tightwadbob (There is no right way to do the wrong thing.)
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To: nypokerface

Part of the “virtual fence?”...


6 posted on 06/15/2007 5:18:45 PM PDT by upchuck (IMPORTANT! -> Immigration: What the Deal-Makers don't want you to know -> http://tinyurl.com/2pwp6o)
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To: SIDENET

Prepare your protection! Secret messages inbound!
7 posted on 06/15/2007 5:19:50 PM PDT by macmedic892 (I am serious. And don't call me Shirley.)
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To: upchuck
Part of the “virtual fence?”...

No. Defense of the Sacred Mexican Nation must be accomplished at all costs, so this is just a part of that obligation of ours.

Civilization demands it.

Because they certainly can't defend themselves, or much else. Except smuggler convoys.

8 posted on 06/15/2007 5:21:51 PM PDT by Regulator (/sarcasm)
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To: nypokerface

Good!


9 posted on 06/15/2007 5:43:12 PM PDT by Sleeping Beauty
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To: nypokerface

It was a decoy flight for the real one being launched out of Gitmo?


10 posted on 06/15/2007 5:57:57 PM PDT by IllumiNaughtyByNature (I buy gas for my SUV with the Carbon Offsets I sell on Ebay!)
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To: tightwadbob
Is the Canaveral pad out on the peninsula too?
11 posted on 06/15/2007 5:59:33 PM PDT by gov_bean_ counter ( Who is the Democrat's George Galloway?)
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To: nypokerface

I guess it’s pretty tough to get the MSM to keep a big loud rocket launch for NRO secret. But that’s a sure sign of the times.


12 posted on 06/15/2007 6:12:57 PM PDT by RDTF (www.imwithfred.com)
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To: SIDENET
Yep. Totally secret. I read that on a conservative forum.

Nothing to see here.

13 posted on 06/15/2007 6:14:39 PM PDT by LibKill ("RUDY GIULIANI" is just "HILLARY CLINTON" misspelled and wearing a dress.)
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To: SIDENET

A little secrecy lifted...

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=1222


14 posted on 06/15/2007 6:27:48 PM PDT by Dad x 3
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To: nypokerface

I had a Little Orphan Annie secret decoder ring about seventy years ago. If I could find it now I could probably find out what was in that “secret” payload. I wonder if Ovaltine has an update on the secret decoder ring.


15 posted on 06/15/2007 6:55:01 PM PDT by FreePaul
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To: nypokerface
Altas V and Soyuz

Cargo is still going into space on lash-ups based on the 50 year old technology of the first generation "interim" ICBMs, Kinda amazing.

16 posted on 06/15/2007 6:56:39 PM PDT by Oztrich Boy (Those who can, do - Those who can't, go into teaching)
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To: nypokerface

Actually I hear it is manned! They get the volunteers from Gitmo!

Understand the missions are one way only!


17 posted on 06/15/2007 7:01:03 PM PDT by Sen Jack S. Fogbound
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To: FreePaul

“B-O-S-C-O”


18 posted on 06/15/2007 7:30:29 PM PDT by Calvin Locke
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To: Oztrich Boy

“Cargo is still going into space on lash-ups based on the 50 year old technology of the first generation “interim” ICBMs, Kinda amazing.”

But they work, just about every time. Something to be said for that......


19 posted on 06/15/2007 7:51:29 PM PDT by RFEngineer
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To: Dad x 3

“Two top secret National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) ocean surveillance spacecraft were fired into the wrong orbit...”

Well, NOW I feel better.


20 posted on 06/16/2007 8:39:03 AM PDT by JB in Whitefish
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To: JB in Whitefish
“Two top secret National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) ocean surveillance spacecraft were fired into the wrong orbit...”

A ruse to confuse the enemy?! /sarc /sarc

21 posted on 06/16/2007 9:10:43 AM PDT by Fitzcarraldo (Skip the Moon, go for Mars)
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To: Fitzcarraldo

” A ruse to confuse the enemy?! /sarc /sarc”

..or the taxpayers....???


22 posted on 06/16/2007 1:12:00 PM PDT by JB in Whitefish
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