United States Air ForceThorad SLV-2G Agena DSpace Launch Complex 1E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
KH-4A 48
Launched
September 18, 1968
Image: NASA
Summary
KH-4A 48 launched on an United States Air Force Thorad SLV-2G Agena D from Space Launch Complex 1E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA on September 18, 1968. It was United States Air Force's 461st launch, 28th this year and humanity's 876th orbital launch attempt. It was the 15th Thorad SLV-2G Agena D flight and the 7th this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). OPS 0165, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 174 × 400 km orbit inclined 83.0°. 2 objects from this launch are catalogued, all 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
- 15th Thorad SLV-2G Agena D flight · 7th this yearUnited States Air Force's 461st launch28th this yearhumanity's 876th orbital launch attempt88th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
OPS 0165 · NORAD 3408 · 1968-078 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 2 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 1968-078A
- Epoch
- 1968-09-18 20:59:37 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.98035742 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.017
- Inclination
- 83°
- Ascending node
- 26.0492°
- Arg. of perigee
- 162.13°
- Mean anomaly
- 198.4751°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 0
- 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
2 catalogued: 2 payloads; none still in orbit
- OPS 0165 · NORAD 3408 · re-entered October 8, 1968
- VAMPAN I · NORAD 3409 · re-entered September 28, 1969
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
45th launch from Space Launch Complex 1E, 4th this year · 309th from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
45 launches from this pad · 919 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
89 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did KH-4A 48 launch?
KH-4A 48 launched on September 18, 1968. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch KH-4A 48?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched KH-4A 48?
Thorad SLV-2G Agena D, flown by United States Air Force. Thorad SLV-2G Agena D spec sheet
Where did KH-4A 48 launch from?
Space Launch Complex 1E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.
What orbit did KH-4A 48 reach?
OPS 0165, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 174 × 400 km orbit inclined 83.0°.
How many satellites did KH-4A 48 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)