A Delta IV rocket carrying a top secret payload for the US National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) blasted off on 11 March 2011 from Cape Canaveral at Space Launch Complex-37 in Florida, writes Ken Kremer. The NROL-27 satellite payload supports the US national defence interests and information about its mission and goals remain classified. Observers speculated, however, that NROL-27 is a powerful military communications satellite for relay of US national security data rather than a signals intelligence satellite. "This is the 50th anniversary year of the NRO and NROL-27 is the fifth of six launches for the NRO the 2010-2011 time period and marks our most aggressive launch schedule in two decades," NRO spokesperson Loretta Desio told Spaceflight.
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