MISSION NAME
NROL-18 (Intruder 6A & 6B) 18
Status
Success
DATE
2 DEC 2003
LAUNCH PROVIDER
Lockheed Martin
Launch Pad
Space Launch Complex 3E
Description
USA 173 is an American military satellite (operated by the National Reconnaissance Office)
Atlas IIAS
Rocket Description
Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. It was designed to launch payloads into low earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II the most reliable launch system in history.