United States Air ForceThorad SLV-2G Agena DSpace Launch Complex 3W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
KH-4B 5
Launched
November 3, 1968
Image: NASA
Summary
KH-4B 5 launched on an United States Air Force Thorad SLV-2G Agena D from Space Launch Complex 3W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA on November 3, 1968. It was United States Air Force's 466th launch, 33rd this year and humanity's 897th orbital launch attempt. It was the 17th Thorad SLV-2G Agena D flight and the 9th this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). It reached a 159 × 290 km orbit inclined 82.1°. One object from this launch is catalogued.
- 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
- 17th Thorad SLV-2G Agena D flight · 9th this yearUnited States Air Force's 466th launch33rd this yearhumanity's 897th orbital launch attempt109th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
OPS 1315 · NORAD 3531 · 1968-098 · Space-Track
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 1968-098A
- Epoch
- 1968-11-04 01:27:01 UTC
- Mean motion
- 16.20825924 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0099013
- Inclination
- 82.1283°
- Ascending node
- 71.891°
- Arg. of perigee
- 147.2227°
- Mean anomaly
- 213.5134°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 3
- 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
1 catalogued: 1 payload; none still in orbit
- OPS 1315 · NORAD 3531 · re-entered November 23, 1968
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
The KH-4B (Keyhole-4B) was sixth optical reconnaissance satellite version in the Corona-program.
Pad

Space Launch Complex 3W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
31st launch from Space Launch Complex 3W, 3rd this year · 313th from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
81 launches from this pad · 919 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
87 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did KH-4B 5 launch?
KH-4B 5 launched on November 3, 1968. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch KH-4B 5?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched KH-4B 5?
Thorad SLV-2G Agena D, flown by United States Air Force. Thorad SLV-2G Agena D spec sheet
Where did KH-4B 5 launch from?
Space Launch Complex 3W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.
What orbit did KH-4B 5 reach?
It reached a 159 × 290 km orbit inclined 82.1°.
How many satellites did KH-4B 5 launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, no longer 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)