Titan 401A Centaur
SuccessNROL-4 · United States Air Force
Launch time (NET)
Saturday, Nov 8, 1997, 02:05 UTC
Launch window
Saturday, Nov 8, 1997, 02:05 UTC – Saturday, Nov 8, 1997, 02:05 UTC
Provider
United States Air Force
Rocket
Launch pad
Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA · Open map
Status
Success
The launch vehicle successfully inserted its payload(s) into the target orbit(s).
Mission
NROL-4 (Trumpet 3)
Type
Government/Top Secret
Orbit
Geostationary Orbit (Direct-GEO)
Trumpet signal intelligence satellites were launched by Titan-4(01)A Centaur-T into highly elliptic Molniya-type orbits. In their elliptical orbits they would move very slowly over the northern hemisphere for most of their orbital period, allowing interception of microwave line-of-sight communications beams. Since they would move slowly through the beams during their orbit, a constellation of such satellites was required to monitor Soviet communications throughout the day.
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