United States Air ForceThorad SLV-2G Agena DSpace Launch Complex 1W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
ASTEX
Launched
October 17, 1971
Image: NASA
Summary
ASTEX launched on an United States Air Force Thorad SLV-2G Agena D from Space Launch Complex 1W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA on October 17, 1971. It was United States Air Force's 558th launch, 22nd this year and humanity's 1,271st orbital launch attempt. It was the 29th Thorad SLV-2G Agena D flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for Polar Orbit (PO). It reached a 771 × 820 km orbit inclined 92.6°. One object from this launch is catalogued.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Thorad SLV-2G Agena D · United States Air Force
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Test Flight · Polar Orbit (PO)
- Milestone
- 29th Thorad SLV-2G Agena D flight · 1st this yearUnited States Air Force's 558th launch22nd this yearhumanity's 1,271st orbital launch attempt100th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
P71-2 · NORAD 5560 · 1971-089 · Space-Track
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- ASTEX 1
- Object ID
- 1971-089A
- Epoch
- 1971-10-17 14:36:48 UTC
- Mean motion
- 14.31089592 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0034162
- Inclination
- 92.6488°
- Ascending node
- 288.0757°
- Arg. of perigee
- 12.9051°
- Mean anomaly
- 347.296°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 1
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: PO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
1 catalogued: 1 payload; 1 still in orbit
- P71-2 · NORAD 5560 · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
USAF satellite designed to test advanced development payloads
Pad

Space Launch Complex 1W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
55th launch from Space Launch Complex 1W, 2nd this year · 371st from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
56 launches from this pad · 919 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
93 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did ASTEX launch?
ASTEX launched on October 17, 1971. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch ASTEX?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched ASTEX?
Thorad SLV-2G Agena D, flown by United States Air Force. Thorad SLV-2G Agena D spec sheet
Where did ASTEX launch from?
Space Launch Complex 1W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.
What orbit did ASTEX reach?
It reached a 771 × 820 km orbit inclined 92.6°.
How many satellites did ASTEX launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).
![Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D (Nimbus 3) [NASA]](/media?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthespacedevs-prod.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com%2Fmedia%2Fimages%2Fthorad-slv2g_ag_image_20251102061406.jpg&w=1600)