Status
Success
Vortex 8 (OPS 9454)
Launch Time
Sat Jun 10, 1978 19:08 UTC
Sat Jun 10, 1978 19:08 UTC
Rocket
Mission Details
Vortex 8 (OPS 9454)
Vortex, previously known as Chalet, was a class of spy satellite operated by the United States during the 1980s and 1990s to collect signals intelligence (SIGINT) from high Earth orbit. The Vortex satellites were operated by the National Reconnaissance Office for the United States Air Force and listened to radio transmissions originating from Earth or space. The intercepted data is believed to have been fed into and analyzed by the National Security Agency ECHELON system.
Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 1,800.0 kg
Geosynchronous Orbit
Location
SLC-40, Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA
Stats
1978
60th orbital launch attempt
Titan III
111th mission
4th mission of 1978
98th successful mission
1st consecutive successful mission