Status
Success
Vortex 9 (OPS 1948)
Launch Time
Mon Oct 01, 1979 11:22 UTC
Mon Oct 01, 1979 11:22 UTC
Rocket
Mission Details
Vortex 9 (OPS 1948)
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
1979
89th orbital launch attempt
Titan III
118th mission
4th mission of 1979
105th successful mission
8th consecutive successful mission