United States Air ForceTitan IIIBSpace Launch Complex 4W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
KH-8 20
Launched
March 4, 1969
Image: USAF
Summary
KH-8 20 launched on an United States Air Force Titan IIIB from Space Launch Complex 4W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA on March 4, 1969. It was United States Air Force's 483rd launch, 9th this year and humanity's 943rd orbital launch attempt. It was the 20th Titan IIIB flight and the 2nd this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). It reached a 140 × 466 km orbit inclined 92.0°. One object from this launch is catalogued.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Titan IIIB · United States Air Force
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Government/Top Secret · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 20th Titan IIIB flight · 2nd this yearUnited States Air Force's 483rd launch9th this yearhumanity's 943rd orbital launch attempt24th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
OPS 4248 · NORAD 3772 · 1969-019 · Space-Track
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 1969-019A
- Epoch
- 1969-03-05 04:02:17 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.92309602 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.024487
- Inclination
- 91.9971°
- Ascending node
- 154.2728°
- Arg. of perigee
- 146.794°
- Mean anomaly
- 214.8995°
- 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
1 catalogued: 1 payload; none still in orbit
- OPS 4248 · NORAD 3772 · re-entered March 18, 1969
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
KH-8 or Gambit-3 was the second generation of Gambit high resolution reconnaissance satellites.
Pad

Space Launch Complex 4W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
32nd launch from Space Launch Complex 4W, 2nd this year · 321st from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
93 launches from this pad · 919 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
41 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did KH-8 20 launch?
KH-8 20 launched on March 4, 1969. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch KH-8 20?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched KH-8 20?
Titan IIIB, flown by United States Air Force. Titan IIIB spec sheet
Where did KH-8 20 launch from?
Space Launch Complex 4W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.
What orbit did KH-8 20 reach?
It reached a 140 × 466 km orbit inclined 92.0°.
How many satellites did KH-8 20 launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, no longer in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).
