Prowler (satellite)

Prowler
Mission typeSatellite inspection
OperatorUS NRO
COSPAR IDN/A
SATCAT no.N/A
Spacecraft properties
BusHS-376
ManufacturerHughes
Launch mass1,300 kilograms (2,900 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date15 November 1990, 23:48:13 (1990-11-15UTC23:48:13Z) UTC
RocketSpace Shuttle Atlantis
STS-38 / PAM-D
Launch siteKennedy LC-39A
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeNear-geosynchronous

Prowler was an American reconnaissance satellite launched aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis in 1990 to study Soviet satellites in geosynchronous orbit. The government of the United States has never acknowledged its existence, however it has been identified by amateur observers and through leaked information.