United States Air ForceAtlas SLV-3 Agena DSpace Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
KH-7 31
Launched
August 16, 1966
Image: USAF
Summary
KH-7 31 launched on an United States Air Force Atlas SLV-3 Agena D from Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA on August 16, 1966. It was United States Air Force's 343rd launch, 44th this year and humanity's 598th orbital launch attempt. It was the 29th Atlas SLV-3 Agena D flight and the 14th this year. The payload was bound for Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO). OPS 1832, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 145 × 362 km orbit inclined 93.3°. 3 objects from this launch are catalogued, 2 of them payloads.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Atlas SLV-3 Agena D · United States Air Force
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Government/Top Secret · Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO)
- Milestone
- 29th Atlas SLV-3 Agena D flight · 14th this yearUnited States Air Force's 343rd launch44th this yearhumanity's 598th orbital launch attempt81st orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
OPS 1832 · NORAD 2396 · 1966-074 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 3 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 1966-074A
- Epoch
- 1966-08-17 02:56:02 UTC
- Mean motion
- 16.10202182 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0164357
- Inclination
- 93.2797°
- Ascending node
- 300.4263°
- Arg. of perigee
- 151.6252°
- Mean anomaly
- 209.3686°
- 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: SSO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
3 catalogued: 2 payloads, 1 rocket stage; none still in orbit
- OPS 1832 · NORAD 2396 · deorbited August 24, 1966
- SAMPAN I · NORAD 2397 · re-entered March 5, 1970
Agena D 4829 · re-entered August 18, 1966
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
The Program 206 satellite, carrying the KH-7 (Keyhole 7) camera system (codenamed Gambit-1), was the first successful high resolution space reconnaissance program. It was managed by NRO's Program A, the USAF-led segment of the National Reconnaissance Program managed from Los Angeles AFB in El Segundo, California.
Pad
Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
20th launch from Space Launch Complex 4E, 8th this year · 228th from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
303 launches from this pad · 919 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
35 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did KH-7 31 launch?
KH-7 31 launched on August 16, 1966. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch KH-7 31?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched KH-7 31?
Atlas SLV-3 Agena D, flown by United States Air Force. Atlas SLV-3 Agena D spec sheet
Where did KH-7 31 launch from?
Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.
What orbit did KH-7 31 reach?
OPS 1832, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 145 × 362 km orbit inclined 93.3°.
How many satellites did KH-7 31 launch?
2 payloads from this launch are catalogued, none of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).