USA-207

USA-207

Operator	Classified
Major contractors	Lockheed Martin[1] ULA (LSP)
Bus	A2100
Mission type	Communications
Launch date	8 September 2009 21:35 GMT
Carrier rocket	Atlas V 401
Launch site	Cape Canaveral SLC-41

USA-207,^[2], international COSPAR code 2009-047A,^[3] also known as PAN, officially meaning Palladium At Night,^[4] or P360^[5] is a classified American communications satellite,^[6] which was launched in September 2009. The US government has not confirmed which of its intelligence agencies will operate the satellite.^[7] The spacecraft was constructed by Lockheed Martin, and is based on the A2100 satellite bus,^[4] using commercial off-the-shelf components.^[5] The contract to build PAN was awarded in October 2006, with the satellite initially scheduled to launch 30 months later, in March 2009.^[8]

PAN was launched by United Launch Alliance using an Atlas V 401 carrier rocket, with the serial number AV-018. The launch, from Space Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, occurred at 21:35 GMT on 8 September 2009, at the start of a 129 minute launch window.^[9] PAN successfully separated from the rocket just under two hours after liftoff.^[10]

PAN has shown an unusual history of frequent relocations, moving between at least four different orbital slots since launch: as of early May 2011 it is located at 44.9 deg E.^[11], over East Africa.

Launch patch of PAN. Note the questionmark in the exhaust plume

The geostationary satellite PAN (2009-047A), along with two other (commercial) geostationary satellites photographed on 4 July 2011 (photo: Marco Langbroek, Leiden, the Netherlands)

References

1. ^ Ray, Justin (2009-07-09). "Atlas rocket team continues active year of launches". Spaceflight Now. http://spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av018/090709status.html. Retrieved 2009-08-31. 
2. ^ McDowell, Jonathan (2009-09-10). "Issue 615". Jonathan's Space Report. Jonathan's Space Page. http://www.planet4589.org/space/jsr/back/news.615. Retrieved 2009-09-11. 
3. ^ "Spacewarn Bulletin Issue 671". NASA NSSDC. 2009-09-30. http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/spacewarn/spx671.html. Retrieved 2011-07-06. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Day, Dwayne (2009-08-24). "PAN’s labyrinth". The Space Review. http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1450/1. Retrieved 2009-08-31. 
5. ^ ^{a b} "New Horizons". Lockheed Martin. December 2007. p. 7 (5 of PDF). http://www.lockheedmartin.com/data/assets/ssc/071204a.pdf. Retrieved 2009-09-06. 
6. ^ US Air Force 45th Space Wing (2009-09-04). "Atlas V set for Cape Launch Sept. 8". Florida Today. http://www.floridatoday.com/content/blogs/space/Atlas%20V%20PAN%204Sep09%20Launch%20Media%20Advisory%2009-09-02-1.doc. Retrieved 2009-09-05. 
7. ^ Covault, Craig (2009-05-26). "Secret PAN satellite leads Cape milspace launch surge". Spaceflight Now. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0905/26milspace/. Retrieved 2009-08-31. 
8. ^ "Highlights". Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. Spring 2007. pp. 28 (29 of PDF). http://www.lockheedmartin.com/data/assets/14445.pdf. Retrieved 2009-09-06. 
9. ^ Clark, Stephen. "Worldwide Launch Schedule". Spaceflight Now. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html. Retrieved 2009-08-31. 
10. ^ Malik, Tariq (2009-08-30). "Atlas 5 Rocket to Secret Satellite [sic]". Space.com. Archived from the original on 2009-08-31. http://www.webcitation.org/5jRi8wiAc. Retrieved 2009-08-31. 
11. ^ "SatTrackCam". http://sattrackcam.blogspot.com/2011/05/unid-i-3-may-2011-pan.html. Retrieved 2011-05-09.