Vela 1A/1B

Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

02:37:00

Thursday October 17, 1963

Watch Replay

Official Livestream

Mission Details

Vela 1A/1B

Wiki

Vela was the name of a group of satellites developed as the Vela Hotel element of Project Vela by the United States to detect nuclear detonations to monitor compliance with the 1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty by the Soviet Union.

Highly Elliptical Orbit

2 Payloads

300 kilograms

Rocket

Retired
Atlas-LV3 Agena-D

Active 1963 to 1965


Stages

2

Launch Site

LC-13

Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA

Fastest Turnaround

73 days 13 hours

Stats

Atlas-Agena


30th

Mission

6th

Mission of 1963

1963


50th

Orbital launch attempt