USAF Titan 401A Centaur NROL-4 (Trumpet 3)
Titan 401A Centaur
Status
Success
Date
8 NOV 1997
02:05
Launch Provider
United States Air Force
Launch Pad
Space Launch Complex 41
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Mission Overview
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.
Rocket
Titan 401A Centaur
Mission Type
Government/Top Secret
Orbit
Geostationary Orbit
Stages
3
Livestream
Not available