MISSION NAME
Quasar 11 11
Status
Success
DATE
3 JUL 1996
LAUNCH PROVIDER
United States Air Force
Launch Pad
Space Launch Complex 40
Description
Satellite Data System (SDS) spacecraft are communication relay satellites for transmiting real-time data from US reconnaissance satellites (e.g. KH-11) in polar areas. They are also used for communications to USAF air craft on polar routes and connect the various ground stations of the Air Force Satellite Control Network (AFSCN). The spacecraft relay the downlinked KH-11 data to a ground station at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
Titan 405A
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.