United States Air ForceThorad SLV-2G Agena DSpace Launch Complex 1W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Strawman 2
Launched
July 31, 1969
Image: NASA
Summary
Strawman 2 launched on an United States Air Force Thorad SLV-2G Agena D from Space Launch Complex 1W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA on July 31, 1969. It was United States Air Force's 500th launch, 26th this year and humanity's 996th orbital launch attempt. It was the 23rd Thorad SLV-2G Agena D flight and the 5th this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). It reached a 468 × 547 km orbit inclined 75.0°. One object from this launch is catalogued.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Thorad SLV-2G Agena D · United States Air Force
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Government/Top Secret · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 23rd Thorad SLV-2G Agena D flight · 5th this yearUnited States Air Force's 500th launch26th this yearhumanity's 996th orbital launch attempt77th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
OPS 8285 · NORAD 4054 · 1969-065 · Space-Track
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 1969-065A
- Epoch
- 1969-08-01 10:58:35 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.21773901 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0057539
- Inclination
- 75.0198°
- Ascending node
- 172.5441°
- Arg. of perigee
- 237.5057°
- Mean anomaly
- 122.0462°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 16
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO.
Catalogued objects
1 catalogued: 1 payload; none still in orbit
- OPS 8285 · NORAD 4054 · re-entered January 4, 1973
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
The Strawman series of ELINT/SIGINT satellites, known for decades only as "Heavy Ferrets", are the fourth variation of Agena-based ELINT satellites. These satellites were designed to detect, map and investigate SAM and ABM radars.
Pad

Space Launch Complex 1W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
51st launch from Space Launch Complex 1W, 1st this year · 332nd from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
56 launches from this pad · 919 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
298 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did Strawman 2 launch?
Strawman 2 launched on July 31, 1969. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Strawman 2?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Strawman 2?
Thorad SLV-2G Agena D, flown by United States Air Force. Thorad SLV-2G Agena D spec sheet
Where did Strawman 2 launch from?
Space Launch Complex 1W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.
What orbit did Strawman 2 reach?
It reached a 468 × 547 km orbit inclined 75.0°.
How many satellites did Strawman 2 launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, no longer 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)