Lacrosse (satellite)

Series of American terrestrial radar imaging reconnaissance satellites

Not to be confused with LCROSS.

Lacrosse / Onyx

An image released by the NRO, reportedly showing a Lacrosse satellite under construction.

Manufacturer| Lockheed Martin
Country of origin| United States
Operator| U.S. National Reconnaissance Office
Applications| Radar imaging
Specifications
Regime| Low Earth
Production
Status| Out of Production
Built| 5 known
Launched| 5
Operational| 0
Retired| All
Maiden launch| USA-34, 1988-12-02
Last launch| USA-182, 2005-04-30

Lacrosse or Onyx was a series of terrestrial radar imaging reconnaissance satellites operated by the United States National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). While not officially confirmed by the NRO or the Government of the United States prior to 2008, there was widespread evidence pointing to its existence, including one NASA website.[1] In July 2008, the NRO itself declassified the existence of its synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation.[2][3]

According to former Director of Central Intelligence Admiral Stansfield Turner, Lacrosse had its origins in 1980 when a dispute between the Central Intelligence Agency and the U.S. Air Force as to whether a combined optical/radar reconnaissance satellite (the CIA proposal) or a radar-only one (the USAF proposal) should be developed was resolved in favor of the USAF.[4]

Lacrosse uses synthetic aperture radar as its prime imaging instrument.[5][6] It is able to see through cloud cover and also has some ability to penetrate soil,[citation needed] though there have been more powerful instruments deployed in space for this specific purpose[specify]. Early versions are believed to have used the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) to relay imagery to a ground station at White Sands, New Mexico.[7] There are some indications that other relay satellites may now be available for use with Lacrosse. The name Lacrosse is used to refer to all variants, while Onyx is sometimes used to refer to the three newer units.[5]

Unit costs (including launch) in 1990 dollars are estimated to be in the range of US$0.5 to 1.0 billion.[8]

## Future

[edit]

It had been anticipated that the Lacrosse satellites would be replaced by the radar component of the Future Imagery Architecture (FIA). The severe program problems encountered by FIA in the early 2000s (decade) led to a plan to off-load radar reconnaissance to the Space Based Radar, later simplified to Space Radar, with initial launch anticipated around 2015.[4] This program itself was axed by Congress late 2008.[6] The launch of NROL-41 (USA 215) in September 2010 has all orbital characteristics of a radar remote sensing platform (see FIA) and could be the first of a Lacrosse follow-up program. Its orbit is a retrograde version of the "frozen" Lacrosse orbit,[9] the choice for a retrograde orbit itself indicating a SAR role.[10]

## Launches

[edit]

The constellation of the Lacrosse (Onyx) SAR satellites in orbit as of August 2011.

Five Lacrosse spacecraft have been launched, with none currently in orbit. The Lacrosse move in orbital planes either 68° or 57° inclined. These orbital inclinations of 68° and 57°, combined with their altitude give the satellites a complete view of the Earth's surface, including the north and south poles. Lacrosse 5 appears to differ somewhat from the previous four satellites. As determined by amateur observers, there are subtle differences in its orbit, and its color is somewhat whiter than the distinct red-orange tint of the earlier ones. Most strikingly, it sometimes fades from brightness to invisibility within the space of a few seconds while still in full sunlight. (Amateur observers call this rapid fade its "disappearing trick", although it appears to be an accidental phenomenon due to the design of the craft and not a deliberate stealth feature.)

Name  | COSPAR ID[11]
SATCAT No. | Launch date
(UTC)  | Launch vehicle  | Launch site  | Launch
designation | Orbit  | Decay date  | Remarks

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

USA-34 | 1988-106B
19671 | 2 December 1988
14:30:34 | Space Shuttle Atlantis
(STS-27) | KSC LC-39B | — | 437 km × 447 km × 57.0° | 25 March 1997 |
USA-69 | 1991-017A
21147 | 8 March 1991
12:03 | Titan IV(403)A | VAFB SLC-4E | — | 420 km × 662 km × 68.0° | 26 March 2011[12] | First Titan IV launch from Vandenberg
USA-133 | 1997-064A
25017 | 24 October 1997
02:32 | Titan IV(403)A | VAFB SLC-4E | NROL-3 | 666 km × 679 km × 57.0° | deorbited [13] |
USA-152 | 2000-047A
26473 | 17 August 2000
23:45:01 | Titan IV(403)B | VAFB SLC-4E | NROL-11 | 695 km × 689 km × 68.0° | deorbited [14] | After initial orbit, minor adjustments were made, sending it to 675 km × 572 km × 68.1°.
USA-182 | 2005-016A
28646 | 30 April 2005
00:50:00 | Titan IV(403)B | CCAFS SLC-40 | NROL-16 | 712 km × 718 km × 57.0° | Deorbited | Final Titan launch from Cape Canaveral

## In pop culture

[edit]

The story of the 1994 Andy Sidaris film The Dallas Connection involves a series of codes necessary to control a Lacrosse reconnaissance satellite.

The plot of the 2018 Hindi movie Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran involves a Lacrosse satellite as the US intelligence eye in the sky.

* The USA-133 traversing Canis Minor as seen from Leiden, the Netherlands, on 19 March 2011.

* The Lacrosse 5 (2005-016A) brightness profile showing the sudden dip in brightness known as the "disappearance trick".

## See also

[edit]

* Quill (satellite)
* SAR-Lupe, a German radar imaging reconnaissance satellite

## References

[edit]

1. ^ NASA – NSSDC – Spacecraft – Details
2. ^ "DoD Buzz | Spy Radar Satellites Declassified". Archived from the original on 2016-10-28. Retrieved 2010-02-17.
3. ^ "NRO Almanac" (PDF). DTIC. January 2011. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
4. ^ a b Dwayne A. Day (January 22, 2007). "The Space Review: Radar love: the tortured history of American space radar programs". The Space Review. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
5. ^ a b Charles P. Vick (2005). "LACROSSE / ONYX - Radar Imaging Reconnaissance Satellite". globalsecurity.org. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
6. ^ a b Ups and Downs of Space Radars[usurped]
7. ^ Daniel Charles (24 March 1989). "Spy Satellites: Entering a New Era". Science. doi:10.1126/science.243.4898.1541. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
8. ^ "U.S. Costs of Verification and Compliance Under Pending Arms Treaties (CBO Publication #528)" (PDF). CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES. September 1990.
9. ^ AEHF 1 : Updated elements, SeeSat-L, 24 September 2010
10. ^ SeeSat-L 1 Oct-10 : Reason for FIA Radar 1/USA 215 retrograde orbit, SeeSat-L, 1 October 2010.
11. ^ Jonathan's Space Report: List of satellite launches
12. ^ SatTrackCam Leiden
station (b)log: Lacrosse 2 is no more
13. ^ "Lacrosse 4 - Satellite Information".
14. ^ "Lacrosse 3 - Satellite Information".

* Jeffrey T. Richelson (1990). America's Secret Eyes in Space. New York: Harper & Row. ISBN 978-0-88730-285-5. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
* Stansfield Turner (2005). Burn Before Reading: Presidents, CIA Directors, and Secret Intelligence. New York: Hyperion. ISBN 978-1-4013-8346-6. Retrieved March 12, 2025.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lacrosse (satellite).

* Lacrosse at Encyclopedia Astronautica
* Globalsecurity.org page on Lacrosse
* Globalsecurity.org page on TDRSS
* Lacrosse 2 orbit at Heavens Above
* Lacrosse 3 orbit at Heavens Above
* Lacrosse 4 orbit at Heavens Above
* Lacrosse 5 orbit at Heavens Above
* Lacrosse at satobs.org
* Imagery by amateur astronomer using 10 reflector
* Photometric curves showing Lacrosse 5 disappearing trick

* v
* t
* e

National Reconnaissance Office

Current programs|

* Sentient (intelligence analysis system) (2009-unknown)
* SpaceX Starshield (2022-present)
* Silentbarker (2023-)
* Blackjack (2024-)
* Future Ground Architecture

Facilities & commands|

* Headquarters, Chantilly, VA
* National Reconnaissance Operations Center (NROC)
* RAF Menwith Hill
* Pine Gap
* Casa Grande Photogrammetric Test Range
* 222d Command and Control Squadron
* Aerospace Data Facilities
* Colorado, Buckley Space Force Base
* East, Virginia, Fort Belvoir
* Southwest, New Mexico, White Sands Missile Range

Technology & Science|

* Byeman Control System
* Dijkstra's algorithm
* Phased array radar
* Synthetic-aperture radar
* Tip and cue

Satellite lines & projects|

* Key Hole (1959-unknown)
* Discoverer 1 (1959)
* Corona (1959-1972)
* Samos (1960-1962)
* KH-5 Argon (1961-1964)
* Upward (1961-1972)
* Poppy (1962-1967)
* Samos-F (1962-1971)
* Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (1962-2014)
* Lanyard (1963)
* Zirconic (1963-)
* Gambit (1963-1967)
* Quill (1964)
* Gambit 3 (1966-1984)
* Canyon (1968-1977)
* Aquacade (1970-1978)
* Jumpseat (1971-1983)
* Hexagon (1971-1986)
* KENNEN (1976-unknown)
* Satellite Data System (1976-2017)
* Naval Ocean Surveillance System (1976-2025)
* Vortex (1978-1989)
* Magnum (1985-1989)
* Lacrosse (1988-2005)
* Prowler (1990)
* Misty (1990-2012)
* Trumpet (1994-1997)
* Mercury (1994-1998)
* SLDCOM (1994-unknown)
* Orion (1995-)
* FORTE (1997)
* Discoverer II (1998-2000)
* STEX (1998)
* Enhanced Imaging System (1999)
* Future Imagery Architecture (1999-2018)
* Zuma (2018)

People|

* Christopher Scolese (Director)
* Betty J. Sapp
* Brian Patrick Regan
* William Kampiles
* Leadership of the National Reconnaissance Office

History|

* Chronology of the National Reconnaissance Office
* List of NRO launches
* USA-193
* USA-225
* USA-234
* USA-276
* 2012 National Reconnaissance Office space telescope donation to NASA
* Multiple Mirror Telescope
* 6594th Test Group

Past programs|

* Manned Orbiting Laboratory
* NEMESIS (High Altitude)
* RAVEN (High Altitude)
* SIGINT High Altitude Replenishment Program (SHARP)

Founders|

* William O. Baker
* Merton E. Davies
* Sidney Drell
* Richard L. Garwin
* Amrom Harry Katz
* James R. Killian
* Edwin H. Land
* Frank W. Lehan
* William J. Perry
* Edward M. Purcell

* v
* t
* e

Satellites of the National Reconnaissance Office

Imaging|

| Optical|

| Keyhole|

* Corona
* Argon
* Lanyard
* Gambit 1
* Gambit 3
* Hexagon
* Kennen/Crystal

|

Misty|

* Misty
* EIS

Other|

* Samos

Radar|

* Quill
* Lacrosse/Onyx
* FIA-R

SIGINT|

| Radar location|

* Canyon
* Chalet/Vortex
* Mercury

|

Ship location|

* Poppy
* NOSS

ELINT|

| GEO|

* Rhyolite/Aquacade
* Magnum/Orion
* Mentor

|

HEO|

* Jumpseat
* Trumpet

LEO|

* Samos-F
* Poppy

Communication|

* SDS
* SLDCOM

Technology|

* STEX
* GeoLITE
* USA-193
* Colony
* RPP

* v
* t
* e

United States reconnaissance satellites

IMINT|

| Photographic|

* KH-1 Corona
* KH-2 Corona
* KH-3 Corona
* KH-4A Corona
* KH-4B Corona
* KH-5 Argon
* KH-6 Lanyard
* KH-7 Gambit
* KH-8 Gambit 3
* KH-9 Hexagon
* KH-10 Dorian

|

Electro-optical|

* Samos
* KH-11 Kennen
* Misty
* Enhanced Imaging System

Synthetic-aperture radar|

* Quill
* Lacrosse
* FIA

SIGINT|

| Low Earth orbit|

* GRAB
* Poppy
* White Cloud
* Samos-F

|

Highly elliptical orbit|

* Jumpseat
* Trumpet

Geosynchronous Earth orbit|

* Canyon
* Magnum
* Mentor (Orion)
* Mercury
* Rhyolite/Aquacade
* Vortex
* GSSAP

MASINT|

| Primary mission|

* FORTE
* GPS
* DMSP
* Vela

|

Secondary mission|

* MIDAS
* DSP
* SBIRS
* STSS

R&D|

| Primary mission|

* MiTEx

|

Unknown|

| USA number|

* USA-193

|

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template