Launch Success
Liftoff Time (GMT)
02:05:00
Saturday November 8, 1997
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Trumpet signal intelligence satellites were launched by Titan-4(01)A Centaur-T into highly elliptic Molniya-type orbits. In their elliptical orbits they would move very slowly over the northern hemisphere for most of their orbital period, allowing interception of microwave line-of-sight communications beams. Since they would move slowly through the beams during their orbit, a constellation of such satellites was required to monitor Soviet communications throughout the day.
Agency
LockheedRocket
Height: 63m
Liftoff Thrust
14,200 Kilonewtons
Fairing
Diameter: 5.1m
Stages
3
Strap-ons
2
23rd
Mission
4th
Mission of 1997
71st
Orbital launch attempt