KH 12-3

USA

Spacecraft n°:

USA satellite n°:

Also called USA 116

Launch data:

Designation:23728 / 95066A
Launch date05 Dec 1995 - 21:18 UT
Launch site Va, SLC4E
Launch vehicle  Titan-4(04)A (S/N° K-15)
Mission:Military: reconnaissance (Improved Crystal)
Sun-Syncronous LEO Earth orbit:
Perigee / Apogee 409 x 1012 km
Eccentricity 4,26E-02
Inclination 97.7 deg
Period 98.99 min


Spacecraft data:

Prime contractor  Lockheed Martin
Platform  
Operator National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)
Mass at launch  18000 kg
Dry Mass 10000 kg
Basic shape  
Dimension (m) 
Equipment 
Solar array 
Stabilization  
Propulsion 
DC power  
Design lifetime  5+ yrs

End of live:

End of Operation:  01 Nov 2010
Cause:  

Mission details:

Optical (and IR?) reconnaissance satellite. Believed resolution: 15 cm. Downlinks via TDRS.
$1 billion satellite; high resolution surveillance; can carry up to 7 metric tons of fuel.
Ref: #7, #15, #226 - update: 10.01.11