Status
Success
DSP-4
Launch Time
Tue Jun 12, 1973 07:14 UTC
Tue Jun 12, 1973 07:14 UTC
Rocket
Mission Details
DSP-4
The primary mission of the DSP satellite is to detect and report ICBM or SLBM raids against the U.S. and its allies. Secondary missions include space launch detection and nuclear detonation detection for international test ban treaties. Developed in response to the Soviet Union's first ICBM threat in the 1950s, DSP utilizes infrared sensors on orbiting satellites to detect rocket engine heat radiation, marking the inception of a space-based early warning system.
Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 907.0 kg
Geostationary Earth Orbit
Location
SLC-40, Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA
Stats
1973
43rd orbital launch attempt
Titan III
68th mission
3rd mission of 1973
59th successful mission
7th consecutive successful mission