NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

Vela 1A/1B

Launch Time
Thu Oct 17, 1963 02:37 UTC

Rocket

Atlas-LV3 Agena-D
Image Credit: USAF or NASA
General Dynamics
Status: Retired
Stages: 2
Strap-ons: 0

Mission Details

Vela 1A/1B

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.

Payloads: 2
Total Mass: 300.0 kg
Highly Elliptical Orbit

Location

LC-13, Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA

Stats

1963

50th orbital launch attempt

Atlas-Agena

30th mission
6th mission of 1963
18th successful mission
4th consecutive successful mission