Soviet Space ProgramTsiklon-2A90/19, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
US-AO 4
Launched
March 22, 1968
Summary
US-AO 4 launched on a Soviet Space Program Tsiklon-2A from 90/19, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan on March 22, 1968. It was Soviet Space Program's 303rd launch, 14th this year and humanity's 813th orbital launch attempt. It was the 3rd Tsiklon-2A flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Kosmos-209, one of 5 catalogued objects, reached a 188 × 350 km orbit inclined 65.0°. 5 objects from this launch are catalogued, one of them a payload.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Tsiklon-2A · Soviet Space Program
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Government/Top Secret · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 3rd Tsiklon-2A flight · 1st this yearSoviet Space Program's 303rd launch14th this yearhumanity's 813th orbital launch attempt25th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Kosmos-209 · NORAD 3158 · 1968-023 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 5 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- COSMOS 209
- Object ID
- 1968-023A
- Epoch
- 1968-03-22 10:50:19 UTC
- Mean motion
- 16.04476422 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0121787
- Inclination
- 65.0367°
- Ascending node
- 357.3847°
- Arg. of perigee
- 317.0869°
- Mean anomaly
- 42.0735°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 1
- 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
5 catalogued: 1 payload, 4 components; 1 still in orbit
- Kosmos-209 · NORAD 3158 · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
US-A (Upravlenniye Sputnik Aktivny) were active radar satellites for ocean surveillance. The high power consumtion of the active radar required a nuclear reactor as power source. The satellites were known as RORSAT in the west. The US-AO series consisted of satellites, which tested all the system components but the nuclear reactor. They were battery powered.
Pad
90/19, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
3rd launch from 90/19, 1st this year · 208th from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
16 launches from this pad · 1,565 from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
85 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of KazakhstanOpen in maps
Questions
When did US-AO 4 launch?
US-AO 4 launched on March 22, 1968. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch US-AO 4?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched US-AO 4?
Tsiklon-2A, flown by Soviet Space Program. Tsiklon-2A spec sheet
Where did US-AO 4 launch from?
90/19, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan.
What orbit did US-AO 4 reach?
Kosmos-209, one of 5 catalogued objects, reached a 188 × 350 km orbit inclined 65.0°.
How many satellites did US-AO 4 launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).