Atlas V blasts off from the Cape with its top secret payload

I don't know, this sounds as though it could have something to do with either bombing the moon or a mind control device. I put this in this forum because clearly it has something to do with the Air Force. If it was just a communications satellite, why the secrecy about who's craft it is? No federal agency will admit that it is theirs. Maybe if something goes wrong there is no one to blame?

The rocket's cargo is in fact so secret that that no federal agency will admit that the craft is theirs. The mission craft is simply called PAN. The launch guide from United Launch Alliance, which manufactures and operates the Atlas V, simply says that the PAN satellite mission is on behalf of Lockheed Martin's "U.S. Government Customer." The 45th Space Wing of the U.S. Air Force described the craft as a U.S. government communications satellite.

blogs.orlandosentinel.com...

I can't help but put this together with another article about something very sinister with satellites.

A New Breed: Satellite Terrorism in America

www.abovetopsecret.com...



[edit on 9-9-2009 by jackflap]

reply to post by jackflap


The problem here is that we will never know what it is that was put into orbit.

Why the secrecy?? Who doesn't want who to know what??

Dammit, I hate being out of the loop..

reply to post by tribewilder


Yeah, you're right we'll never know who or what wanted something orbiting the planet. Just imagine if we wanted to put a secret cargo into orbit. We paid for the delivery system and cleared everything to go, but we don't want anyone knowing what it is. Do you think we'd get away with that?

I wonder if we could claim national security? It's either a weapon or something far more serious. I mean they could claim it was national security reasons but what in the world could be so secret? Is it because they really want to protect us, or is it something else? We'll never know because the ptb labeled it secret. So secret that no agency will claim ownership.

A new military satellite so highly classified the U.S. government will not even divulge which military or intelligence agency owns it is undergoing final checkout for liftoff this summer at Cape Canaveral. Comments are closed.

The placement into the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's launch schedule of the $500 million class secret mission, on a large booster and close to launch - but with no public disclosure of who will command it - is highly unusual. The satellite weighs at least two tons and is code named "PAN.

[edit on 9-9-2009 by jackflap]

Did anyone ever stop to think that maybe they have a really good reason to keep it secret that is not nefarious? Do you really want them to tell the world every capablility that we may have to gather information on our enemies or to defend ourselves?

Complete speculation on my part;

source

Pan inspired sudden fear in lonely places, Panic (panikon deima). Following the Titans' assault on Olympus, Pan claimed credit for the victory of the gods because he had inspired disorder and fear in the attackers resulting in the word 'panic' to describe these emotions. Of course, Pan was later known for his music, capable of arousing inspiration, sexuality, or panic, depending on his intentions. In the Battle of Marathon (490 BC), it is said that Pan favored the Athenians and so inspired panic in the hearts of their enemies, the Persians.

Also It was said that Pan also had twelve children who were known as "Panes"

This mission was the 16th flight of an Atlas V rocket from the Cape and the 13th launch overall this year on the Eastern Range.

source

I had mentioned in my earlier post the American Starfish Prime 1.44 megaton nuclear test explosion in 1962, in space above the earth's atmosphere, and it's EMP effect on Hawaii. That same year, the Soviets did a similar test over Kazakhstan. Their bomb was only 300 kilotons, about one fifth the size of the Starfish Prime bomb, yet the EMP damage was more extensive. Why? Because they did it above a heavily populated area, and because it was also in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's magnetic field was very strong, which amplified the EMP effects, giving the smaller explosion a much stronger EMP!

PAN
Pulsed Area Neutralizer or Pulsed Amplified Neutralizer ?

I wonder if it might have something to do with project blue beam:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by HotDogNoBun


Then why not just say it is for national security reasons that we do not divulge what capabilities this satellite has? It is military and we can say no more. It is not something we can discuss.

They don't even give us that much. No one will claim ownership of it. It's like the area fifty one thing, it doesn't exist and it belongs to no agency. Just a little creepy to me. I did take what you are saying into consideration and I appreciate the input. We have to stop just accepting these things that go on I believe. Granted there is not a whole lot we can do about it but at least there are more thinkers who are aware of it now.

reply to post by pixanomaly


Great post pixanomaly! I would never have thought along those lines. This could very well be the case. Preparing for a much broader emp pulse. I like this and I am going to pursue this line of thinking. Thank you!

reply to post by theuhstuf


You are the man, or woman! I subscribed to that thread as soon as I read the first two sentences! That is an awesome correlation you made there and I am so psyched to read into it further. Thank you for providing that link and being a thinker!

Once upon a time

In a land with swamps and gators...

Our favorite space agency that Never gives us A Straight Answer...

Had some problems...

Well they ALWAYS seem to have problems... but on this occasion it led to a very interesting set of circumstances

The day was 12/13/2007 The problem was that Shuttle STS 122 Atlantis was delayed...

Well that happens a lot no biggie... unless you are the NRO and have a super secret satellite you simply MUST get up on time

So what to do?

Well you can call up the OTHER SPACE PROGRAM You know those not so secret secret space guys and gals I speak about?

Well they did a fantastic job this time... they reconfigured the launch pad from A shuttle Launch to an emergency launch of an Altas V rocket

Within a RECORD 36 hours they had reconfigured the launch pad (no small task) and launched that NRO satellite on time

Who are these wonder workers?

The OTHER Mission control...
Now this was in the media, but only made the local papers Secret missions are not newsworthy it seems

:shk:

Meet the kids of;

Space Command Morrell Operations Center's Mission Control
45th Wing Space Command Patrick AFB Florida


Image Courtesy Patrick AFB - Atlas V pre-launch operations
(l to r) 1st Lt. Georgene Hilb, Maj. Eric Amissah, Capt. Davina Fallaw, Capt. Bai Zhu and Stephen Anstey work on console at the Technical Support Facility during Atlas V pre-launch operations Dec. 10. (Courtesy photo)

Atlas V Launch Scores Major Milestones

by Ken Warren
45th SW Public Affairs

12/13/2007 - CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. -- Shortly after the Atlas V rumbled off the pad late Monday afternoon, Maj. Dewitt Morgan "high-fived" Rick Day in the Morrell Operations Center's mission control room and said, "Great launch! Way to turn the Range."

The two members of the 1st Range Operations Squadron were in celebratory moods as the Atlas V carried a National Reconnaissance Office payload into space. The reason: In the wake of NASA's scrubbing of the STS-122 space shuttle mission early Sunday morning, 1 ROPS led the 45th Space Wing's charge to get the Eastern Range reconfigured in less than 36 hours to support the Atlas V launch.

The successful launch also buoyed the spirits of 1st Lt. Georgene Hilb, Deputy Atlas Lead for the 5th Space Launch Squadron. In that capacity she'd worked tirelessly supporting booster processing, monitoring facility status and serving as the 45th SW's point of contact for spacecraft integration. But for her, nothing matched the thrill of launch day. "I was excited seeing this payload get into orbit. This was the shortest flow for an Atlas V from booster on stand to initial launch capability -- 43 days, seven days shorter than the Astra mission that launched in April 2006."

On launch day, Lieutenant Hilb's responsibilities included tracking Atlas V countdown processing and anomalies for the government team and providing status to senior leadership.

"The beautiful liftoff was the best part of working this mission. It's a great feeling to know that our success here directly enhances our national security," she said.

SOURCE: Patrick AFB Press Release
www.patrick.af.mil...

Rocket carries secret spacecraft



Caption
Atlas 5 launch. An Atlas V rocket and its cargo -- a payload owned by the National Reconnaissance Office -- lifted off from Launch Complex 41 at 5:05 p.m Monday December 10, 2007 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. Photo by: Michael R. Brown Michael R. Brown, FLORIDA TODAY

BY TODD HALVORSON
FLORIDA TODAY

CAPE CANAVERAL - A secret national security satellite is winging its way around the planet today after a roaring rocket launch from Cape Canaveral.

The Monday liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket came less than 36 hours after NASA scrubbed the planned launch of shuttle Atlantis, a turnaround that took a monumental effort.

"It was awesome," said ULA communications director Mike Rein. "And we appreciate everything the 45th Space Wing did to reconfigure the range after yesterday's shuttle scrub to make it happen."

The Air Force's 45th Space Wing, based at Patrick Air Force Base, operates the nation's primary east coast rocket range, providing radar tracking, range safety and weather forecasting services for all launches from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

It typically takes two days to reset range systems between launches. The quick turnaround made it possible to pick up the Atlas 5 countdown Monday afternoon and send the rocket aloft at 5:05 p.m.

There was a two-minute delay to make certain the rocket wouldn't collide with the International Space Station as the outpost passed over the Cape.

Then the rocket rumbled off its oceanfront launch pad with a crackling roar, hurling a classified National Reconnaissance Office payload toward orbit.

Craig Covault, senior editor of the trade magazine Aviation Week and Space Technology, said the clandestine cargo was a spacecraft that relays images and other data to the ground from other NRO satellites.

SOURCE: Florida Today Article
www.floridatoday.com.../20071211/NEWS02/712110331/1007/NEWS02

Originally posted by tribewilder
The problem here is that we will never know what it is that was put into orbit.
Why the secrecy?? Who doesn't want who to know what??
Dammit, I hate being out of the loop..

Well you just have to ask the right person

Someone wrote me a note so here I am...

45th Space Wing Launches Atlas V Lifting Government Communications Satellite

45th Space Wing Public Affairs

9/9/2009 - CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. -- The 45th Space Wing launched successfully a United Launch Alliance-built Atlas V Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle from Space Launch Complex 41 at 5:35 p.m. (EDT) today.

The Atlas V rocket carried a U.S. government communications satellite into space.
"This launch helps to ensure that vital communications will continue to bolster our nation's capabilities and showcases why the 45th Space Wing is the world's premiere gateway to space," said Brig. Gen. Edward L. Bolton, Jr., 45th Space Wing commander.

"The 45th Space Wing is in the midst of a very busy launch season and during our Operational Readiness Inspection. We are looking forward to many more successful missions before the year's end," General Bolton said. "This is perhaps the cleanest countdown we've seen this year."

This mission was the 16th flight of an Atlas V rocket from here and the 13th launch overall this year on the Eastern Range.

"This launch was an outstanding achievement for the entire Atlas team," said Staff Sgt. Brad Tavares, Atlas V Mission Assurance Technician. "It makes me extremely proud to be a part of the success of this mission and I look forward to providing continued mission assurance for all future launches."

Contact: 45th Space Wing Public Affairs
[email protected]

www.afspc.af.mil...


LAUNCH VIDEO

The really SECRET stuff is launched from Kwajalien Atoll

www.smdc.army.mil...

But some of the older Shuttle Missions were top secret...

Not the launch itself... but the Mission

SECRET SPACE SHIPS
Military Missions of the Space Shuttle

SECRET SPACE SHIPS Military Missions of the Space Shuttle



www.thelivingmoon.com...

[edit on 10-9-2009 by zorgon]

PAN, which officially stands for “Palladium At Night”, is also known as P360. It is a communications satellite, which was built by the Special Programs division of Lockheed Martin Space Systems.

Atlas V launches classified PAN satellite for US Government
www.nasaspaceflight.com...

Atlas V Successfully Launches PAN Satellite
spacefellowship.com...

IKONOS PAN Satellite
Built by Lockheed Martin

www.agrecon.canberra.edu.au...

reply to post by zorgon


Hi Zorgon,

you linked to IKONONS PAN

Space Imaging launched the worlds first, and currently only, one-metre resolution, commercial satellite, IKONOS, on 24 September, 1999.

but thanks for the palladium at night connection
source

But now something odd has happened that has satellite observers scratching their heads: the Air Force has announced the upcoming launch of a classified satellite from Cape Canaveral, but no government agency, certainly not the NRO, has claimed ownership. Its mission remains mysterious, as do other aspects of its existence. It was supposed to launch on August 12, but that date has now slipped to September 8.

Now if the NRO are claiming nothing to do with it it could belong to DARPA or the air force (maybe someone knows more about the little blue sign top middle of the patch.

follow the above source for the rest of the article and comments.

Oh, a lot of theories abound here in this thread. Well, just maybe, it is a Top Secret Communications Satellite. There have been a great many such payloads over the years here at the Cape. This launch was pretty as well as most others I have seen over the past 40 years here.
Vance

Our PAN P360 team just celebrated our first anniversary since contract award. As program manager, I am very proud of the extraordinary effort and excellent team that has been leading this endeavor. We have successfully hit every milestone on a 30-month firm-fixed-price program that will change the future of how government programs will be contracted and run. This opportunity is a great challenge to build a government satellite that uses the A2100 spacecraft bus and commercial off-the-shelf components and processes. There are numerous future Lockheed Martin opportunities that hinge on the success of this program.

www.lockheedmartin.com...

Its a cheap imagery satellite... maybe gonna snoop on Iran

Originally posted by pixanomalyor the air force (maybe someone knows more about the little blue sign top middle of the patch.

Well on the left it says 45 SW
That is 45th Space Wing and the little blue bird thing is AF Space Command



So its their own it seems

On the right it says AV-018 That is the Atlas Number

45th Space Wing Launches Atlas V Lifting Government Communications Satellite. ... Florida The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket (AV-018)

ATLAS AV-018/PAN SATELLITE COORDINATES


[edit on 10-9-2009 by zorgon]

reply to post by zorgon


Lol this gets funnier by the second

A mission sticker offers little insight. It shows a smiling frog riding a rocket, waving a cowboy hat with planet Earth in the background. A slogan beneath the rocket says: "The Simplest Of Programs." Its nosecone is inscribed "P360/PAN."

Someone is a fan of Dr Strangelove


BTW the post at florida today points to a hidden question mark in the patch.

ABOUT THE IMAGES: Click to enlarge the mission sticker (top) and you can barely see the little cartoon of the frog riding the rocket at the bottom of the image. The Palladium At Night patch will not enlarge, but note the interesting question mark hidden in the plume trailing the rocket. The spooks have outdone themselves this time.

source for the above

Zorgon the person who edited that doc file forgot to clean the properties.
Last edit by someone called Braine and author is noted as comerw ??

Originally posted by pixanomaly

Hi Zorgon,
you linked to IKONOS PAN

Yes to show the PAN satellites are nothing special...

There is TOO MUCH information on this... they 'leaked' this launch before the launch... its a carrot...

There is something else going on we are not seeing

ULA United Launch Alliance

United Launch Alliance (ULA), formed in December 2006, is a joint venture owned by Lockheed Martin and The Boeing Company. The combined Atlas and Delta teams provide spacecraft launch services for the U.S. government. U.S. government launch customers include the Department of Defense, NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office and other organizations.

Atlas and Delta expendable launch vehicles have supported space programs for more than 50 years, carrying a variety of payloads including weather, telecommunications and national security satellites that protect and improve life on Earth, as well as deep space and interplanetary exploration missions in support of scientific research.

Three families of launch vehicles – Delta II, Delta IV and Atlas V – continue to support strategic U.S. space initiatives. ULA program management, engineering, test and mission support functions are headquartered in Denver, Colo. Manufacturing, assembly and integration operations are located at Decatur, Alabama, and Harlingen, Texas. Launch operations are located at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, and at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

en.wikipedia.org...

Interesting side note...

SpaceX challenged the antitrust legality of the launch services monopoly on October 23, 2005. SpaceX is interested in competing for government launch contracts with the Falcon 9 rocket. On January 7, 2006 the Department of Defense gave preliminary approval to the United Launch Alliance while the Federal Trade Commission had yet to issue a final decision.

Trying to put the new Commercial guy out of business... Hmmmmm


NRO Shortfall May Delay Upcoming ULA Missions

The June 15 shortfall of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V launch vehicle with a pair of classified National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) ocean surveillance spacecraft onboard may delay upcoming military missions by the Boeing/Lockheed Martin joint venture.

Among them could be the first Boeing-built Wideband Gapfiller System (WGS) satellite, designed to begin replacing the aging Defense Satellite Communications Spacecraft (DSCS) constellation.

www.aviationweek.com.../NRO062207.xml

[edit on 10-9-2009 by zorgon]