USA 193

Also called NROL 28

---

General

Designation	29651 / 06057A
Launch date	14 Dec 2006
Country of origin	United States
Mission	Military
Perigee/Apogee	354/376 km
Inclination	58.5°
Period
Launch vehicle	Delta 2 #322

The spacecraft carries a sophisticated and secret imaging sensor but the satellite's central computer failed shortly after launch. Mass estimated at 2250 kg

Carried an hydrazine tank that could have survived re-entry (a similar one did on Columbia) with 450 kg of remaining (frozen) fuel. A US Navy Aegis warship fired a single modified tactical Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) hitting the satellite three minutes after in 242 x 257 km x 58.5 deg orbit over the Pacific Ocean.

---

End of life

Out of service	14 Dec 2006
Cause	Could not be contacted, total failure.
Decay	Feb 2008, pulverised in 3000 small pieces by an Aegis SM3 missile

---

External resources

sat-index articles

---