Orion 7
Sign in to saveAlso known as NRO L-32, NRO Launch 32, NROL-32, USA-223, RIO 7, Mission 8303
USA-223, known before launch as NRO Launch 32 (NRO L-32), is an American reconnaissance satellite which was launched in 2010. It is operated by the United States National Reconnaissance Office. It presently holds the record for being the largest spy satellite ever launched.
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USA-223, known before launch as NRO Launch 32 (NRO L-32), is an American reconnaissance satellite which was launched in 2010. It is operated by the United States National Reconnaissance Office. It presently holds the record for being the largest spy satellite ever launched.
Whilst details of its mission are officially classified, amateur observers have identified USA-223 as an Orion satellite; the seventh in the Magnum/Orion series. Orion spacecraft are used for electronic signals intelligence, and carry large antennas to enable them to intercept radio transmissions. These antennas are believed to have a diameter of around . Bruce A. Carlson, the director of the NRO, described the spacecraft as being the largest satellite ever launched.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Orion 7” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.