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<p>Two Items:<br>
</p>
<p>First:<br>
</p>
<p>The U.S. National Reconnaissance Office launched a new spy
satellite Thursday evening on mission NROL-39 -- and the new logo
and tagline are quite an eye opener.</p>
<p>The new logo features a giant, world-dominating octopus, its
sucker-covered tentacles encircling the planet while it looks on
with determination, a steely glint in its enormous eye. The logo
carries a five-word tagline: “Nothing is beyond our reach.”</p>
<p>Christopher Soghoian, principal technologist and senior policy
analyst with the ACLU, raised a quizzical eyebrow at the new
slogan.</p>
<p>“Advice to @ODNIgov: You may want to downplay the massive dragnet
spying thing right now. This logo isn't helping,” he wrote.</p>
<p>An agency spokeswoman told Forbes that there's a very good reason
for the symbol: The octopus is intelligent, and therefore a good
emblem for an intelligence agency.<br>
</p>
<p><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/12/06/nothing-is-beyond-our-reach-nro-new-logo-claims/">http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/12/06/nothing-is-beyond-our-reach-nro-new-logo-claims/</a>
<br>
</p>
<p><[more story at the link above]><br>
</p>
<p><br>
Second: <br>
</p>
<p><strong><font size="2">A United Launch Alliance Atlas V 501
rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg
Air Force Base on Friday at 7:14 UTC carrying the classified
NROL-39 satellite to orbit for the National Reconnaissance
Office. Also on board were 12 small CubeSats for release after
the primary mission of the launcher was complete. Official
information on the mission’s progress was ceased at the point
of Payload Fairing separation as the flight entered the
customary news blackout of NRO missions.<br>
<span style=""></span><br>
<span style=""></span> Confirmation of mission success was
provided after the successful release of NROL-39. The 12
CubeSats were released more than three hours after launch.<br>
<span style=""></span><br>
<span style=""></span> Although the payload of this mission is
classified, the satellite hidden under the Atlas V payload
fairing had been identified well before launch. Using clues
such as the type of launch vehicle used as well as the launch
time and navigational warnings that are provided for aircraft
& ships, the NROL-39 payload was identified as the FIA
Radar 3 satellite. With the payload revealed, it was also
clear what type of orbit was being targeted by the mission – a
circular Low Earth Orbit at 1,100 Kilometers and an
inclination of 123 degrees.<br>
</font></strong></p>
<p><strong><font size="2"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.spaceflight101.com/atlas-v-nrol-39-launch-updates.html">http://www.spaceflight101.com/atlas-v-nrol-39-launch-updates.html</a>
<br>
</font></strong></p>
<p><strong><font size="2"><[much more story at the link above,
including rocket images with octopus logo, and photos of spy
gear and rocket launch]><br>
</font></strong></p>
<p><strong><font size="2"><br>
Ken<br>
</font></strong></p>
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