Friday, January 22, 2016

USA-129

 1996-072A


The December 1996 Titan 4 launch was the first acknowledged by NRO as carrying a reconnaissance satellite, USA 129. It flew in an 0944 LTDN SSO, the west plane orbit and continued in space until 2014, operating for a remarkable 17 years.


USA 129 
 

DateTimeEventOrbit  

1996 Dec 20  1804  Launch by Titan 4 (K-13)  V SLC4E 
 1806? T+2:00 St 1 MES 
 1806? T+2:04 SRM sep 
 1807?  T+3:59 Fairing 
 1809? T+5:09 St 2 MES 
 1809? T+5:10 St 1 sep 
 1812? T+8:50 St 2 MECO  
 1813?  T+8:59 Titan 4 stage 2 sep  
   96.6 145 x 1048 x 97.9 (UN) 
1996 Dec 30    95.18 156 x 898 x 97.9 (72B) 
1997 Jan 7    97.81 251 x 1057 x 97.7 (72A) 
1997 Oct 28    97.39 267 x 1000 x 97.83 (Seesat) 
2000 Apr 25    97.73 282 x 1017 x 97.89 
2000 Apr 26  2000  Apogee raise 
2000 Sep 7  1900? Apogee raise  288 x 978 x 97.9 
2000 Nov 29    97.00 289 x 940 x 97.8 
  Apogee raise  97.66 280 x 1012 x 97.8 
2001 Feb 23    97.42 284 x 985 x 97.8 
2001 Jul 6    97.06 282 x 953 x 97.8 
2001 Jul 7?   Apogee raise 
2001 Jul 11    97.47 284 x 990 x 97.9 
2001 Aug 2    97.39 281 x 985 x 97.9 
2001 Aug 4?   Apogee raise 
2003 Jan 7    97.45 284 x 988 x 97.9 
2003 Aug 11    97.07 272 x 964 x 97.8 
2003 Dec   Orbit change 
2003 Dec 29    97.83 268 x 1041 x 97.80 
2004 Mar 18   Peri raise  97.80 279 x 1027 x 98.0 
2005 Oct 13  1133  orbit raise 
2005 Oct 28    280 x 1018 x 98.0 
2006 Mar 27    277 x 1045 x 97.9 
2006 Jul 31    277 x 1030 x 97.9 
2008 May 20    97.09 275 x 962 x 97.75 
2011 Apr 18    96.43 290 x 884 x 97.7 
2013 Aug 29    95.53 308 x 770 x 97.6 

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