Trumpet 3 (USA-136) (NROL-4)

Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

02:05:00

Saturday November 8, 1997

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Mission Details

Trumpet 3 (USA-136) (NROL-4)

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.

Rocket

Retired
Titan IV(401)A

Active 1994 to 1998

Lockheed Martin logo

Agency

Lockheed

Rocket

Height: 63m

Liftoff Thrust

14,200 Kilonewtons

Fairing

Diameter: 5.1m

Stages

3

Strap-ons

2

Launch Site

SLC-41

Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA

Fastest Turnaround

15 days 22 hours

Stats

Titan IV


23rd

Mission

4th

Mission of 1997

1997


71st

Orbital launch attempt