United States Air ForceThorad SLV-2G Agena DSpace Launch Complex 3W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
KH-4A 52
Launched
September 22, 1969
Image: NASA
Summary
KH-4A 52 launched on an United States Air Force Thorad SLV-2G Agena D from Space Launch Complex 3W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA on September 22, 1969. It was United States Air Force's 505th launch, 31st this year and humanity's 1,012th orbital launch attempt. It was the 24th Thorad SLV-2G Agena D flight and the 6th this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). OPS 3531, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 160 × 254 km orbit inclined 85.0°. 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
- 24th Thorad SLV-2G Agena D flight · 6th this yearUnited States Air Force's 505th launch31st this yearhumanity's 1,012th orbital launch attempt93rd orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
OPS 3531 · NORAD 4102 · 1969-079 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 2 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 1969-079A
- Epoch
- 1969-09-22 23:37:01 UTC
- Mean motion
- 16.27335223 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0071609
- Inclination
- 85.0116°
- Ascending node
- 23.1718°
- Arg. of perigee
- 160.4207°
- Mean anomaly
- 199.981°
- 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
2 catalogued: 2 payloads; none still in orbit
- OPS 3531 · NORAD 4102 · re-entered October 13, 1969
- SAVANT II · NORAD 4103 · re-entered May 16, 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
37th launch from Space Launch Complex 3W, 5th this year · 334th from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
81 launches from this pad · 919 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
60 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did KH-4A 52 launch?
KH-4A 52 launched on September 22, 1969. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch KH-4A 52?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched KH-4A 52?
Thorad SLV-2G Agena D, flown by United States Air Force. Thorad SLV-2G Agena D spec sheet
Where did KH-4A 52 launch from?
Space Launch Complex 3W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.
What orbit did KH-4A 52 reach?
OPS 3531, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 160 × 254 km orbit inclined 85.0°.
How many satellites did KH-4A 52 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)