Transit T-3

 1976-089A

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The final Transit Improvement Program satellite, TIP 3, suffered solar panel problems but was partially successful in its mission. Its orbit was raised between launch and Jan 1977 and then it was left to decay from its elliptical 450 x 868 km orbit.

TIP 3
Date	Time	Event	Orbit
1976 Sep 1	2114:02	Launch by Scout D-1	V SLC5
	2115:23	T+1:21 St 1 burnout	-6293 x 60 x 77.7
	2115:27	T+1:25 St 2 burn
	2116:06	T+2:04 St 2 burnout	-5771 x 151 x 86.6
	2116:17	T+2:15 Heatshield sep
	2116:19	T+2:17 St 3 burn
	2116:52	T+2:50 St 3 burnout
	2121:48	T+7:46 Spin motors ignition
	2121:50	T+7:48 St 3 sep
	2121:55	T+7:53 St 4 burn	-4180 x 342 x 89.0
	2122:29	T+8:27 St 4 burnout	342 x 869 x 90 (MOR)
	2123?	St 4 sep
			95.96 341 x 787 x 90.3
1976 Oct 23			95.86 345 x 774 x 90.3
1976 Oct 28		orbit raise	95.95 356 x 773 x 90.3
1976 Nov 3		orbit raise	96.07 364 x 775 x 90.3
1976 Dec 3		orbit raise	96.27 369 x 790 x 90.3
1976 Dec 17		orbit raise	96.93 365 x 857 x 90.1
1976 Dec 23			98.84 477 x 928 x 89.9
1977 Jan 10			98.88 485 x 924 x 89.4
1977 Jan 13		orbit lower	97.93 450 x 868 x 89.3
1977 Mar		end of ops?
1977 May 3			97.90 451 x 864 x 89.3
1979 Jul 28			96.81 440 x 771 x 89.3
1981 May 29			88.21 169 x 202 x 89.3
1981 May 30		Reentered