United States Air ForceAtlas SLV-3D CentaurLaunch Complex 36B, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
HEAO 3
Launched
September 20, 1979
Image: NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Summary
HEAO 3 launched on an United States Air Force Atlas SLV-3D Centaur from Launch Complex 36B, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA on September 20, 1979. It was United States Air Force's 746th launch, 10th this year and humanity's 2,258th orbital launch attempt. It was the 22nd Atlas SLV-3D Centaur flight and the 2nd this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). HEAO 3, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 492 × 510 km orbit inclined 43.6°. 2 objects from this launch are catalogued, one of them a payload.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Atlas SLV-3D Centaur · United States Air Force
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Astrophysics · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 22nd Atlas SLV-3D Centaur flight · 2nd this yearUnited States Air Force's 746th launch10th this yearhumanity's 2,258th orbital launch attempt85th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
HEAO 3 · NORAD 11532 · 1979-082 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 2 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- HEAO 3
- Object ID
- 1979-082A
- Epoch
- 1979-09-21 06:11:33 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.24004173 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0013344
- Inclination
- 43.6055°
- Ascending node
- 224.7813°
- Arg. of perigee
- 299.4581°
- Mean anomaly
- 60.4948°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 16
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO.
Catalogued objects
2 catalogued: 1 payload, 1 rocket stage; none still in orbit
- HEAO 3 · NORAD 11532 · re-entered December 7, 1981
Centaur AC-53 · re-entered November 13, 1979
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Astronomy satellite dedicated to gamma and cosmic rays
Pad
Launch Complex 36B, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
25th launch from Launch Complex 36B, 1st this year · 360th from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
76 launches from this pad · 1,131 from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
311 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did HEAO 3 launch?
HEAO 3 launched on September 20, 1979. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch HEAO 3?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched HEAO 3?
Atlas SLV-3D Centaur, flown by United States Air Force. Atlas SLV-3D Centaur spec sheet
Where did HEAO 3 launch from?
Launch Complex 36B, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.
What orbit did HEAO 3 reach?
HEAO 3, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 492 × 510 km orbit inclined 43.6°.
How many satellites did HEAO 3 launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, no longer in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).