United States Air ForceThorad SLV-2G Agena DSpace Launch Complex 2E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Nimbus 4
Launched
April 8, 1970
Image: NASA
Summary
Nimbus 4 launched on an United States Air Force Thorad SLV-2G Agena D from Space Launch Complex 2E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA on April 8, 1970. It was United States Air Force's 517th launch, 8th this year and humanity's 1,073rd orbital launch attempt. It was the 27th Thorad SLV-2G Agena D flight and the 2nd this year. The payload was bound for Polar Orbit (PO). Nimbus 4, one of 444 catalogued objects, reached a 1,099 × 1,109 km orbit inclined 99.9°. 444 objects from this launch are catalogued, 2 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
- Earth Science · Polar Orbit (PO)
- Milestone
- 27th Thorad SLV-2G Agena D flight · 2nd this yearUnited States Air Force's 517th launch8th this yearhumanity's 1,073rd orbital launch attempt27th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Nimbus 4 · NORAD 4362 · 1970-025 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 444 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- NIMBUS 4
- Object ID
- 1970-025A
- Epoch
- 1970-04-08 11:08:55 UTC
- Mean motion
- 13.43347468 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0006069
- Inclination
- 99.9074°
- Ascending node
- 14.4042°
- Arg. of perigee
- 66.8668°
- Mean anomaly
- 293.311°
- 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: PO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
444 catalogued: 2 payloads, 1 rocket stage, 441 debris; 265 still in orbit
- Nimbus 4 · NORAD 4362 · in orbit
- TOPO I · NORAD 4363 · in orbit
Agena D 6231 · broke up October 17, 1970
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Meteorological research and development satellite
Pad

Space Launch Complex 2E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
43rd launch from Space Launch Complex 2E, 2nd this year · 345th from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
47 launches from this pad · 919 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
63 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did Nimbus 4 launch?
Nimbus 4 launched on April 8, 1970. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Nimbus 4?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Nimbus 4?
Thorad SLV-2G Agena D, flown by United States Air Force. Thorad SLV-2G Agena D spec sheet
Where did Nimbus 4 launch from?
Space Launch Complex 2E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.
What orbit did Nimbus 4 reach?
Nimbus 4, one of 444 catalogued objects, reached a 1,099 × 1,109 km orbit inclined 99.9°.
How many satellites did Nimbus 4 launch?
2 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 2 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)