United States Air ForceThorad SLV-2G Agena DSpace Launch Complex 1E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
KH-4A 45
Launched
January 24, 1968
Image: NASA
Summary
KH-4A 45 launched on an United States Air Force Thorad SLV-2G Agena D from Space Launch Complex 1E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA on January 24, 1968. It was United States Air Force's 438th launch, 5th this year and humanity's 796th orbital launch attempt. It was the 9th Thorad SLV-2G Agena D flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). OPS 2243, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 185 × 437 km orbit inclined 81.5°. 3 objects from this launch are catalogued, 2 of them payloads.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Thorad SLV-2G Agena D · United States Air Force
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Government/Top Secret · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 9th Thorad SLV-2G Agena D flight · 1st this yearUnited States Air Force's 438th launch5th this yearhumanity's 796th orbital launch attempt8th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
OPS 2243 · NORAD 3113 · 1968-008 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 3 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 1968-008A
- Epoch
- 1968-01-25 09:59:43 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.89451656 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.018874
- Inclination
- 81.4911°
- Ascending node
- 165.6562°
- Arg. of perigee
- 174.4016°
- Mean anomaly
- 185.9307°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 7
- 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
3 catalogued: 2 payloads, 1 component; none still in orbit
- OPS 2243 · NORAD 3113 · re-entered February 27, 1968
- TIVOLI I · NORAD 3114 · re-entered March 4, 1970
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
The KH-4A (Keyhole-4A) was the fifth optical reconnaissance satellite version in the Corona-program.
Pad

Space Launch Complex 1E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
42nd launch from Space Launch Complex 1E, 1st this year · 289th from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
45 launches from this pad · 919 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
83 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did KH-4A 45 launch?
KH-4A 45 launched on January 24, 1968. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch KH-4A 45?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched KH-4A 45?
Thorad SLV-2G Agena D, flown by United States Air Force. Thorad SLV-2G Agena D spec sheet
Where did KH-4A 45 launch from?
Space Launch Complex 1E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.
What orbit did KH-4A 45 reach?
OPS 2243, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 185 × 437 km orbit inclined 81.5°.
How many satellites did KH-4A 45 launch?
2 payloads from this launch are catalogued, none of them 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)