The U.S. Space Force and the National Reconnaissance Office have successfully launched their latest space observation satellites in a mission shrouded in secrecy known as “Silent Barker.”

This joint mission was conducted on September 10, with a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lifting off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida.

Once these satellites become operational, their primary task will be to monitor objects within geosynchronous orbit, which is situated approximately 22,000 miles above Earth, C4ISR NET reported.

This mission was originally scheduled for August 29 but was postponed due to adverse weather conditions.

The tracking of activities in space, particularly within the geosynchronous orbit, has gained increasing importance for the Space Force and the NRO.

This heightened focus is in response to potential threats and aggressive actions by nations like Russia and China in this region.

In 2020, then-Chief of Space Operations Gen. Jay Raymond revealed that two Russian satellites had been tailing a U.S. spy satellite, characterizing this behavior as “unusual and disturbing.”

Written by staff