Success
KH-7 4
Government/Top Secret
United States Air Force(USAF)Government
Atlas LV-3 Agena D
SSOorbit
The Program 206 satellite, carrying the KH-7 (Keyhole 7) camera system (codenamed Gambit-1), was the first successful high resolution space reconnaissance program. It was managed by NRO's Program A, the USAF-led segment of the National Reconnaissance Program managed from Los Angeles AFB in El Segundo, California.
Wednesday, December 18, 1963 at 9:45 PM
Mission details
Orbital Attempt
#289
USAF Mission
#173
Pad Launch
#4
Location Launch
#115
Designator
1963-051
Launch Window
NET
Dec 18, 1963, 9:45 PM
Schedule Changes
1 update
Space Launch Complex 4W
SLC-4W started operations in 1963 as Space Launch Complex 4W, and continued as an operational launch site through 2003. In 2015, SpaceX started conversion of the launch site into Landing Zone LZ-4. Landing operations commenced in 2018 at LZ-4.
Total Launches
93
Orbital Attempts
93
Fastest Turnaround
15d 1h
Atlas LV-3 Agena D Specs
The Atlas-Agena was an American expendable launch system derived from the SM-65 Atlas missile. It was a member of the Atlas family of rockets, and was launched 109 times between 1960 and 1978.
Length
36 m
Diameter
3 m
Launch Mass
155 t
Thrust
1,340 kN
LEO Capacity
1,000 kg
GEO Capacity
700 kg
Reusable
No
Maiden Flight
1963
Fastest Turnaround
8d 16h
Total Launches
15
Successful
15
Failed
0
Consecutive Success
15
Maiden flight: Jul 12, 1963
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal Corps, the USAF was established as a separate branch of the United States Armed Forces in 1947 with the enactment of the National Security Act of 1947.
Founded
1947
Administrator
Commander-in-Chief: President of the US
Total Launches
1,078
Successful
972
Failed
106
Pending
0
Consecutive Success
68
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Vandenberg Space Force Base is a United States Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Established in 1941, Vandenberg Space Force Base is a space launch base, launching spacecraft from the Western Range, and also performs missile testing. The United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 30 serves as the host delta for the base, equivalent to an Air Force air base wing. In addition to its military space launch mission, Vandenberg Space Force Base also hosts space launches for civil and commercial space entities, such as NASA and SpaceX.
Timezone
America/Los_Angeles
Local Launch Time
Dec 18, 1963, 1:45 PM
Total Launches
885
Total Landings
34
Coordinates
34.7513, -120.5202