Launch Success
Liftoff Time (GMT)
21:59:00
Wednesday January 16, 1963
The ELINT/SIGINT satellites known for decades only as "Heavy Ferrets" are now known to be a program originally associated with the Samos (Satellite and Missile Observation System) project. This first series of Heavy Ferrets was called Program 102 and later Program 698BK. These satellites were designed to detect, map and investigate SAM and ABM radars.
64th
Mission
2nd
Mission of 1963
3rd
Orbital launch attempt