US NavyProject PilotNaval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Air launch to Suborbital flight
NOTS 3
Launched
August 22, 1958
Summary
NOTS 3 launched on an US Navy Project Pilot from Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Air launch to Suborbital flight on August 22, 1958. The mission failed. It was US Navy's 9th launch, 8th this year and humanity's 18th orbital launch attempt. It was the 3rd Project Pilot flight. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO).
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Project Pilot · US Navy
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Government/Top Secret · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 3rd Project Pilot flightUS Navy's 9th launch8th this yearhumanity's 18th orbital launch attempt15th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
About this launch
The project pilot payloads were small cylindrical satellites. These missions intended to be the first to launch a satellite from an aircraft. They had only a single instrument, a very primitive infrared line scanning device to make IR images of the ground.
Pad

Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Air launch to Suborbital flight
3rd launch from Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, 3rd this year · 3rd from Air launch to Suborbital flight
6 launches from this pad · 86 from Air launch to Suborbital flight
10 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Air launch to Suborbital flightOpen in maps
Questions
When did NOTS 3 launch?
NOTS 3 launched on August 22, 1958. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch NOTS 3?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched NOTS 3?
Project Pilot, flown by US Navy. Project Pilot spec sheet
Where did NOTS 3 launch from?
Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Air launch to Suborbital flight.
What orbit was NOTS 3 going to?
Low Earth Orbit (LEO), a government/top secret mission.