United States Air ForceThorad SLV-2G Agena DSpace Launch Complex 3W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
KH-4A 50
Launched
March 19, 1969
Image: NASA
Summary
KH-4A 50 launched on an United States Air Force Thorad SLV-2G Agena D from Space Launch Complex 3W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA on March 19, 1969. It was United States Air Force's 485th launch, 11th this year and humanity's 950th orbital launch attempt. It was the 20th Thorad SLV-2G Agena D flight and the 2nd this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). OPS 3722, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 171 × 257 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
- 20th Thorad SLV-2G Agena D flight · 2nd this yearUnited States Air Force's 485th launch11th this yearhumanity's 950th orbital launch attempt31st orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
OPS 3722 · NORAD 3829 · 1969-026 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 2 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- OPS 3722
- Object ID
- 1969-026A
- Epoch
- 1969-03-20 05:59:10 UTC
- Mean motion
- 16.24618743 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0065046
- Inclination
- 82.9999°
- Ascending node
- 206.8185°
- Arg. of perigee
- 159.3116°
- Mean anomaly
- 201.0843°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 6
- 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 3722 · NORAD 3829 · re-entered March 24, 1969
- TIVOLI II · NORAD 3830 · re-entered December 6, 1971
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 3W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
34th launch from Space Launch Complex 3W, 2nd this year · 323rd from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
81 launches from this pad · 919 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
41 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did KH-4A 50 launch?
KH-4A 50 launched on March 19, 1969. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch KH-4A 50?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched KH-4A 50?
Thorad SLV-2G Agena D, flown by United States Air Force. Thorad SLV-2G Agena D spec sheet
Where did KH-4A 50 launch from?
Space Launch Complex 3W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.
What orbit did KH-4A 50 reach?
OPS 3722, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 171 × 257 km orbit inclined 83.0°.
How many satellites did KH-4A 50 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)