United States Air ForceTitan IIICSpace Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Vela 6A & 6B
Launched
April 8, 1970
Image: U.S. DoD
Summary
Vela 6A & 6B launched on an United States Air Force Titan IIIC from Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA on April 8, 1970. It was United States Air Force's 518th launch, 9th this year and humanity's 1,075th orbital launch attempt. It was the 14th Titan IIIC flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Vela VI-A, one of 4 catalogued objects, reached a 111,154 × 112,231 km orbit inclined 32.4°. 4 objects from this launch are catalogued, 2 of them payloads.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Titan IIIC · United States Air Force
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Government/Top Secret · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 14th Titan IIIC flight · 1st this yearUnited States Air Force's 518th launch9th this yearhumanity's 1,075th orbital launch attempt29th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Vela VI-A · NORAD 4366 · 1970-027 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 4 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- OPS 7044 (VELA 12)
- Object ID
- 1970-027A
- Epoch
- 1970-04-09 10:52:59 UTC
- Mean motion
- 0.21400669 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.004562
- Inclination
- 32.4058°
- Ascending node
- 157.1899°
- Arg. of perigee
- 280.2723°
- Mean anomaly
- 79.7213°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 0
- 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
4 catalogued: 2 payloads, 1 rocket stage, 1 component; 2 still in orbit
- Vela VI-A · NORAD 4366 · left Earth orbit
- Vela VI-B · NORAD 4368 · left Earth orbit
Transtage 18 · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Like its predecessor, the Vela, the Advanced Vela series of spacecraft were designed to monitor worldwide compliance with the 1963 nuclear test ban treaty.
Pad
Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
4th launch from Space Launch Complex 40, 1st this year · 245th from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
403 launches from this pad · 1,131 from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
about 3 years after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did Vela 6A & 6B launch?
Vela 6A & 6B launched on April 8, 1970. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Vela 6A & 6B?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Vela 6A & 6B?
Titan IIIC, flown by United States Air Force. Titan IIIC spec sheet
Where did Vela 6A & 6B launch from?
Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.
What orbit did Vela 6A & 6B reach?
Vela VI-A, one of 4 catalogued objects, reached a 111,154 × 112,231 km orbit inclined 32.4°.
How many satellites did Vela 6A & 6B launch?
2 payloads from this launch are catalogued (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).