Saturday, February 26, 2000

DSCS-3 F2

 1985-092B


The first production DSCS III, satellite B-4 (USA 11) was launched with B-5 on an IUS from orbiter Atlantis on its first flight. The two IUS burns placed the pair of DSCS III satellites in geosynchronous orbit; the IUS second stage then separated from each DSCS.


DSCS III B-4 
 

DateTimeEventOrbit  

1985 Oct 3  1515:30  Launch from KSC LC39A 
1985 Oct 4  0053?  IUS deploy  476 x 515 x 28.5 
 0153? IUS SRM-1 burn  509 x 35200 x 28.0 
 0710? IUS SRM-1 sep 
 0712? IUS SRM-2 burn  35185 x 35953 x 2.1 
 0714? IUS SRM-2 burnout 
 0717? RCS burn? 
 0752? IUS sep from B-4, B-5  35634 x 35963 x 0.3 
1986 Mar    GEO 12W? 
1995 Jul   LANT Reserve  GEO 42.5W 
1997 Oct   LANT Reserve  GEO 42.5W 

Thursday, February 24, 2000

Gambit-3 18

  1968-108A


KH-8 18 was launched on 1968 Dec 4 by Titan IIIB Agena D from Vandenberg. This mission, which lasted 8 days, was the first of three that would use a much higher apogee. When the program was declassified it was revealed that these high apogee missions were unintentional; on this flight it was the Titan second stage that burned to depletion instead of cutting off, adding extra energy. This happened because the Vandenberg ground station was unable to send commands to the Titan. The orbit was adjusted on rev 93 with an SPS single-engine burn.


KH-8 18 
 

DateTimeEventOrbit  

1968 Dec 4  1923  Launch by Titan 3B Agena D  V SLC4W 
 1925? Titan stage 1 sep 
 1925?  Titan stage 2 sep 
 1928?  Agena burn 
 1933? Agena MECO 
   93.30 136 x 736 x 106.2 
1968 Dec 4  2332   93.26 126 x 741 x 106.3 
1968 Dec 5  0851   93.27 132 x 736 x 106.2 
1968 Dec 6  0459   92.37 127 x 654 x 106.2 
1968 Dec 9  0341   91.98 124 x 619 x 106.2 
  Perigee raise, SPS, rev 93 
1968 Dec 11  0311   91.90 133 x 602 x 106.2 
 2205? SRV deorbited rev 111 
1968 Dec 12  0209  91.83 135 x 593 x 106.2 
1968 Dec 12   Reentered after 8d 
 2240? Deboost rev 127 

May 13,2026

  https://planet4589.org/space/jsr/back/news.855.txt