NOAA B

 1980-043A

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NOAA B was launched at 1053 on 1980 May 29 by an Atlas F from SLC3W at Vandenberg. The Atlas booster engine thrust was too low, and the Atlas main engine sustainer burned for an extra 54s in an attempt to compensate. However at 1100 the Atlas separated prematurely from the NOAA satellite - but since it was still thrusting the NOAA remained attached! At 1103 the Star 37S motor fired but attitude control propellant was almost depleted and the orbit acheived was 102.1 min, 264 x 1445 x 92.2 deg, far from the desired circular sun-synchronous orbit. On May 30 NOAA B was powered down and decommissioned; it reentered on 1981 May 3.

NOAA B
Date	Time	Event	Orbit
1980 May 29	1053	Launch by Atlas F	SLC3W V
		T+2:01 BECO
		T+2:04 BPJ Booster Package Jettison
		T+2:24 NFJ Nose Fairing Jettison
		T+5:24 planned SECO
		T+5:43 planned VECO
	1058	T+5:49 Atlas sep command but remained thrusting
	1059	T+6:18 Actual SECO
	1100?	Atlas sep	-350? x 700? x 92?
			-2976? x 773 x 98.8?
	1103	T+10:27 Star 37 burn
	1104	T+11:10 Star 37 burnout
		102.1 264 x 1445 x 92.2
1980 May 30	1104	NOAA B powered down
1981 May 3		Reentered

Aviation Week: February 20,1984

 https://welib.org/md5/96cc2fc9c3d125f98998ccbd901c9c27

Gambit-3 29

 1970-090A

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KH-8 29 (GAMBIT 4329) was launched on 1970 Oct 23 by Titan IIIB Agena D from Vandenberg on a 19 day flight. Its mission probably included imaging of missile silos for the R-36 (SS-9) missile. Major orbit raising burns were carried out on Oct 24 and around Nov 5.

KH-8 29
Date	Time	Event	Orbit
1970 Oct 23	1740	Launch by Titan IIIB Agena D	V SLC4W
	1742	Titan stage 1 sep
	1745	Titan stage 2 sep
	1745	Agena burn
	1750?	Agena MECO
	1902		89.63 125 x 386 x 111.1
1970 Oct 24	0638		89.80 133 x 394 x 111.1
		Orbit raise
1970 Oct 25	1741		90.10 135 x 423 x 111.0
1970 Oct 27	2257		89.86 131 x 403 x 111.0
1970 Nov 1	0742		89.61 122 x 387 x 111.0
	2138?	SRV-1 recovery opp
	2145?	Entry
	2210?	SRV-1 recovered
		Orbit raise
1970 Nov 2	2107		89.81 135 x 394 x 111.0
		Orbit raise
1970 Nov 5	2219		90.35 149 x 433 x 111.0
1970 Nov 10	1035		90.04 145 x 407 x 111.0
1970 Nov 10		SRV-2 recovered after planned 18 day mission
1970 Nov 11		Reentered after 19d
	2311?	Deboost

Explorer 39

 1968-066A

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The AD-C (Air Density Explorer C, Explorer XXXIX) satellite was launched from Vandenberg on 1968 Aug 8. The Scout delivered it into a 670 x 2538 km x 80.7 deg orbit, together with Explorer XL. Explorer XXXIX's beacon transmitted until 1971 Jun; it was reactivated on 1976 Feb 20. The satellite reentered on 1981 Jun 22.

The Injun satellite had a mass of 63 kg not counting the ADE. The ADE hardware had a total mass of 16 kg, 9.4 kg of which was the 3.66-m dia balloon satellite, made of Al foil and polyethylene-terephthalate plastic film. Attached to the balloon surface was a battery unit, a solar cell package, and a transmitter. The Al foil sphere had a small 0.01m equatorial gap turning the Al into an antenna.

The AD deployer consists of a container, a spearation mechanism, ejection bellows and an inflation bottle, for a total mass of 7 kg; this remained with the Injun satellite, giving it an orbital mass of 70 kg.

The AD/Injun pair was launched near solar max, to complement the earlier IQSY mission.

The Scout E-section payload adapter had a mass of 4.5 kg.

Debris detected in orbit had a slower decay rate than the balloon, and may be associated with Injun. Debris cataloged starting in 1994 was at an altitude consistent with some of the rest of the debris, suggesting that it separated from Injun in the 1960s or 1970s.

AD-C
Date	Time	Event	Orbit
1968 Aug 8	2012:00	Launch by Scout B S165C	V SLC5
	2013	Algol burnout T+1:16
	2013	Castor burn T+1:18
		T+1:56 Castor burnout
	2014	Antares burn T+2:00
	2014	Coast T+2:35
		T+10:03 Spinup
		T+10:04 Antares sep
	2022:08	T+10:08 FW4S burn
	2022:40	T+10:40 FW4S burnout
	2040:04	T+28:04 AD inflation and sep from Injun
	2110:03	T+58:03 Injun sep from FW4S
		Injun despin
		VLF antenna out
		Loop antenna out
			670 x 2538 x 80.7 (RAE)
1971 Jun		Deactivated
1976 Feb 20		Reactivated
1981 Jun 22		Reentered

Payload:

• Air density balloon (LaRC/Keating, SAO/Jacchia)

• Radio beacon

• Internal temperature sensor