Vela 5A (also known Vela 9 and OPS 6909[2]) was an American reconnaissance satellite to detect explosions and nuclear tests on land and in space. It was released together with Vela 5B, OV5 5, OV5 6 and OV5 9.[3]
 Post-launch separation of Vela 5A and 5B | |
| Operator | USAF |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 1969-046D[1] |
| SATCAT no. | 3954 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | TRW |
| Launch mass | 259 kilograms (571 lb) |
| Power | 120 W |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | May 23, 1969, 07:57:01 UTC |
| Rocket | Titan III-C 15 |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral LC-41 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Highly Elliptical |
| Semi-major axis | 117,689 kilometres (73,129 mi) |
| Perigee altitude | 29,122.4 kilometres (18,095.8 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 193,514.6 kilometres (120,244.4 mi) |
| Inclination | 42° |
| Period | 6,696.8 minutes (111.613 h) |
Instruments
edit- 2 optical bhangmeters observing the planet
- 12 external X-ray detectors
- 18 internal neutron and gamma-ray detectors
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. "Vela 5A". Retrieved 29 September 2019.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Antonín Vítek. "1969-046D - Vela 9". Space 40 (in Czech). Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ Krebs, Gunter. "Vela 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 (advanced Vela)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
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