Mercury (satellite)
| Country of origin | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | National Reconnaissance Office United States Air Force | ||
| Applications | Espionage | ||
| Specifications | |||
| Launch mass | 4,000–5,000 kilograms (8,800–11,000 lb) | ||
| Regime | Geostationary | ||
| Production | |||
| Built | 3 | ||
| Launched | 3 | ||
| Failed | 1 | ||
| Maiden launch | 27 August 1994, 8:56:58 UTC | ||
| Last launch | 12 August 1998, 11:30:01 UTC | ||
| |||
Mercury, also known as Advanced Vortex, was a series of three United States spy satellites launched in the 1990s. These satellites were launched and operated by the National Reconnaissance Office with the participation of the United States Air Force. The satellites collect SIGINT from near-geosynchronous orbits. Their precise mission and capabilities are highly classified, but they are widely believed to be successors to the Vortex/Chalet satellites.