FIA-R / TOPAZ
In the late 1990s, the NRO initiated the FIA (Future Imaging Architecture) program to develop successors to the KENNEN / CRYSTAL electro-optical imaging and ONYX radar-imaging satellite systems. In September 1999, the prime contract for FIA was awarded to Boeing. The FIA-O (FIA - Optical) electro-optical satellite was cancelled in 2005 due to massive delays and cost-overruns, but the FIA-R (FIA - Radar) program continued.
FIA-R is of course classified, and therefore almost no information is available. Leaked data is limited to the name TOPAZ, which is generally assumed to be the code name for the program. Five NRO launches with classified payloads are assumed to have put FIA-R/TOPAZ satellites into orbit. This tentative identification is based the orbital characteristics (circular orbit of around 1100 km altitude, and 123° inclination), and estimations about the size from amateur observations.
FIA-R/TOPAZ Launch List
- No.: Sequential flight number for the FIA-R/TOPAZ program
- Name: Unclassified name of the satellite. Since June 1984, U.S. military satellites get a sequential "USA" number. "NROL" stands for National Reconnaissance Office Launch, a number assigned by the NRO to its satellite launches since 1996.
- COSPAR ID: International designation of the satellite
| No. | Name / NROL | COSPAR ID | Launch | Launch Vehicle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USA 215 / NROL-41 | 2010-046A | 21 Sep 2010 | Atlas-5(501) |
| 2 | USA 234 / NROL-25 | 2012-014A | 3 Apr 2012 | Delta-4M+(5,2) |
| 3 | USA 247 / NROL-39 | 2013-072A | 6 Dec 2013 | Atlas-5(501) |
| 4 | USA 267 / NROL-45 | 2016-010A | 10 Feb 2016 | Delta-4M+(5,2) |
| 5 | USA 281 / NROL-47 | 2018-005A | 12 Jan 2018 | Delta-4M+(5,2) |
Alleged FIA-R/TOPAZ launches
As of 2025, all five satellites are still in orbit.
Main Sources
[1] Dwayne A. Day: Radar love: the tortured history of American space radar programs,
The Space Review, January 2007
[2] Jeffrey T. Richelson: Ups and Downs
of Space Radars, Air Force Magazine, January 2009
[3] Gunter Krebs: Gunter's Space Page (for launch lists)
Back to Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles, Appendix 3
Last Updated: 17 July 2025