MISSION NAME
NROL-4 (Trumpet 3) 4
Status
Success
DATE
8 NOV 1997
LAUNCH PROVIDER
United States Air Force
Launch Pad
Space Launch Complex 41
Description
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.
Titan 401A Centaur
Rocket Description
Titan IV was a family of heavy-lift space launch vehicles developed by Martin Marietta and operated by the United States Air Force from 1989 to 2005.