Name: NROL-23 (Intruder 7A & 7B) — Atlas IIIB
Start: 2005-02-03T07:41:01Z
End: 2005-02-03T07:41:01Z
Location: Launch Complex 36B

Question 1

What rocket is launching NROL-23 (Intruder 7A & 7B)?

Accepted Answer

NROL-23 (Intruder 7A & 7B) is launching on the Atlas IIIB.

Question 2

Who is launching NROL-23 (Intruder 7A & 7B)?

Accepted Answer

NROL-23 (Intruder 7A & 7B) is being launched by Lockheed Martin, a commercial launch provider founded in 1953.

Question 3

Where is NROL-23 (Intruder 7A & 7B) launching from?

Accepted Answer

NROL-23 (Intruder 7A & 7B) is launching from Launch Complex 36B at Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.

Question 4

What orbit is NROL-23 (Intruder 7A & 7B) heading to?

Accepted Answer

NROL-23 (Intruder 7A & 7B) is heading to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Question 5

Is the Atlas IIIB reusable?

Accepted Answer

No — the Atlas IIIB is an expendable launch vehicle.

Question 6

How many times has the Atlas IIIB flown?

Accepted Answer

The Atlas IIIB has launched 4 times to date, with 4 successful flights.

Question 7

What is the NROL-23 (Intruder 7A & 7B) mission?

Accepted Answer

Last launch of an Atlas model using the original, innovative, balloon propellant tanks conceived in 1947. Third launch of new generation paired satellites used for tracking, characterisation, and intelligence on naval vessels and civilian shipping worldwide.

Question 8

Where is Cape Canaveral Space Force Station?

Accepted Answer

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station sits on Florida's Atlantic coast, on the Eastern Range run by the U.S. Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45. It is the United States' busiest launch site and has been America's gateway to orbit since the 1950s.

Question 9

Which rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

SpaceX flies Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40, and United Launch Alliance flies the Vulcan Centaur (and the retiring Atlas V) from Space Launch Complex 41.

Question 10

Is Cape Canaveral the same as the Kennedy Space Center?

Accepted Answer

No. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center are separate, neighbouring sites — Kennedy is on Merritt Island just to the north. Together they make up Florida's 'Space Coast'.

Question 11

Why do rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Its pads sit on the Eastern Range, letting rockets fly east out over the Atlantic toward the equatorial and geostationary orbits most commercial and national-security payloads need, away from populated land.

Question 12

Can you watch a launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Space Coast is one of the easiest places in the world to watch a launch from public land. Popular free spots include Playalinda Beach, Space View Park in Titusville, and Jetty Park at Port Canaveral.

NROL-23 (Intruder 7A & 7B)

Overview

Mission details

Launch Window

Launch Complex 36B

Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Frequently asked questions