United States Air ForceThor Delta E1Space Launch Complex 2E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
GEOS B
Launched
January 11, 1968
Image: NASA
Summary
GEOS B launched on an United States Air Force Thor Delta E1 from Space Launch Complex 2E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA on January 11, 1968. It was United States Air Force's 435th launch, 2nd this year and humanity's 790th orbital launch attempt. It was the 11th Thor Delta E1 flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Geos 2, one of 14 catalogued objects, reached a 1,107 × 1,509 km orbit inclined 106.0°. 14 objects from this launch are catalogued, one of them a payload.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Thor Delta E1 · United States Air Force
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Earth Science · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 11th Thor Delta E1 flight · 1st this yearUnited States Air Force's 435th launch2nd this yearhumanity's 790th orbital launch attempt2nd orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Geos 2 · NORAD 3093 · 1968-002 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 14 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- EXPLORER 36 (GEOS 2)
- Object ID
- 1968-002A
- Epoch
- 1968-01-11 19:22:04 UTC
- Mean motion
- 12.90145248 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0261542
- Inclination
- 105.9768°
- Ascending node
- 43.987°
- Arg. of perigee
- 176.1496°
- Mean anomaly
- 184.1561°
- 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: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
14 catalogued: 1 payload, 1 rocket stage, 10 debris, 2 components; 14 still in orbit
- Geos 2 · NORAD 3093 · in orbit
FW4D · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
The GEOS 1 (Geodetic Earth Orbiting Satellite) spacecraft was a gravity-gradient-stabilized, solar-cell powered unit designed exclusively for geodetic studies.
Pad
Space Launch Complex 2E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
34th launch from Space Launch Complex 2E, 1st this year · 286th from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
47 launches from this pad · 919 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
61 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did GEOS B launch?
GEOS B launched on January 11, 1968. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch GEOS B?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched GEOS B?
Thor Delta E1, flown by United States Air Force. Thor Delta E1 spec sheet
Where did GEOS B launch from?
Space Launch Complex 2E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.
What orbit did GEOS B reach?
Geos 2, one of 14 catalogued objects, reached a 1,107 × 1,509 km orbit inclined 106.0°.
How many satellites did GEOS B launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).