United States Air ForceTitan 24BSpace Launch Complex 4W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
KH-8 40
Launched
September 27, 1973
Summary
KH-8 40 launched on an United States Air Force Titan 24B from Space Launch Complex 4W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA on September 27, 1973. It was United States Air Force's 605th launch, 14th this year and humanity's 1,497th orbital launch attempt. It was the 9th Titan 24B flight and the 3rd this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). It reached a 136 × 398 km orbit inclined 110.5°. One object from this launch is catalogued.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Titan 24B · United States Air Force
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Government/Top Secret · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 9th Titan 24B flight · 3rd this yearUnited States Air Force's 605th launch14th this yearhumanity's 1,497th orbital launch attempt75th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
OPS 6275 · NORAD 6837 · 1973-068 · Space-Track
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 1973-068A
- Epoch
- 1973-09-27 19:44:44 UTC
- Mean motion
- 16.05118179 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0197329
- Inclination
- 110.4869°
- Ascending node
- 311.261°
- Arg. of perigee
- 147.255°
- Mean anomaly
- 214.1016°
- 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
1 catalogued: 1 payload; none still in orbit
- OPS 6275 · NORAD 6837 · re-entered October 29, 1973
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
KH-8 Block 3 high resolution reconnaissance satellite.
Pad

Space Launch Complex 4W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
55th launch from Space Launch Complex 4W, 4th this year · 404th from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
93 launches from this pad · 919 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
37 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did KH-8 40 launch?
KH-8 40 launched on September 27, 1973. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch KH-8 40?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched KH-8 40?
Titan 24B, flown by United States Air Force. Titan 24B spec sheet
Where did KH-8 40 launch from?
Space Launch Complex 4W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.
What orbit did KH-8 40 reach?
It reached a 136 × 398 km orbit inclined 110.5°.
How many satellites did KH-8 40 launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, no longer in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).