Status
Success
Vortex 10 (OPS 4029)
Launch Time
Sat Oct 31, 1981 09:22 UTC
Sat Oct 31, 1981 09:22 UTC
Rocket
Mission Details
Vortex 10 (OPS 4029)
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
1981
109th orbital launch attempt
Titan III
127th mission
5th mission of 1981
114th successful mission
17th consecutive successful mission