United States Air ForceAtlas SLV-3C CentaurLaunch Complex 36A, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
ATS 4
Launched
August 10, 1968
Image: US Air Force
Summary
ATS 4 launched on an United States Air Force Atlas SLV-3C Centaur from Launch Complex 36A, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA on August 10, 1968. It was United States Air Force's 456th launch, 23rd this year and humanity's 865th orbital launch attempt. It was the 4th Atlas SLV-3C Centaur flight and the 2nd this year. The payload was bound for Geosynchronous Orbit (GSO). It reached a 229 × 778 km orbit inclined 29.1°. One object from this launch is catalogued.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Atlas SLV-3C Centaur · United States Air Force
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Earth Science · Geosynchronous Orbit (GSO)
- Milestone
- 4th Atlas SLV-3C Centaur flight · 2nd this yearUnited States Air Force's 456th launch23rd this yearhumanity's 865th orbital launch attempt77th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
ATS 4 · NORAD 3344 · 1968-068 · Space-Track
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 1968-068A
- Epoch
- 1968-08-11 01:20:18 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.23127024 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0399885
- Inclination
- 29.0864°
- Ascending node
- 112.9673°
- Arg. of perigee
- 128.2306°
- Mean anomaly
- 235.4998°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 2
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: GSO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
1 catalogued: 1 payload; none still in orbit
- ATS 4 · NORAD 3344 · re-entered October 17, 1968
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
ATS 4 was a satellite designed to test gravity gradient stabilization at synchronous altitude. It failed to reach the desired altitude, thus was not able to fulfill its mission objectives.
Pad
Launch Complex 36A, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
9th launch from Launch Complex 36A, 2nd this year · 220th from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
71 launches from this pad · 1,131 from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
216 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did ATS 4 launch?
ATS 4 launched on August 10, 1968. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch ATS 4?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched ATS 4?
Atlas SLV-3C Centaur, flown by United States Air Force. Atlas SLV-3C Centaur spec sheet
Where did ATS 4 launch from?
Launch Complex 36A, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.
What orbit did ATS 4 reach?
It reached a 229 × 778 km orbit inclined 29.1°.
How many satellites did ATS 4 launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, no longer in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).