in may 2010, an amateur astronomer claimed to spot the spacecraft from his home in toronto, ontario, canada. shortly after the initial observation, several more detailed observations were made by amateur skywatchers from around the world, who reported the spacecraft to have an almost circular low earth orbit with an inclination of 40°. the group believed in their calculations and observations with a high degree of confidence. the spacecraft's ground track was observed to repeat every four days, which was considered indicative for a possible imaging reconnaissance mission profile.