In orbitDebris

MIDAS 3 DEB

NORAD: 188
COSPAR: 1961-018C

OrbitalWiki publishes live orbits for active satellites only. This object is in the full catalogue: who launched it, what it is and its last published orbit are below, but there are no current orbital elements for it here.

Spacecraft

Owner: US Air Force Space Systems Division
Mass at launch: 10 kg(estimate, good to about 20%)
Dry mass: 10 kg(estimate, good to about 20%)
Length: 1.5 m
Diameter: 0.3 m
Span with arrays and booms: 1.5 m
Shape: Pan

From GCAT by Jonathan McDowell (CC BY 4.0), record S00188, checked 2026-11-05. About this source

Launch

Launch date: 1961-07-12
Rocket: Atlas Agena B
Flight: Midas 3
Mission name: Midas ETS-II F1
Launch site: PA, LC1-2
Launched by: US Air Force Space Systems Division
Rocket performance: Success
Launch designator: 1961 SIG

From the GCAT launch log, launch 1961 SIG, checked 2026-11-05. About this source

Catalogue record

Object type: Debris
Owner code: US
Launch date: 1961-07-12
Period: 161.1 min
Inclination: 91.14°
Apogee: 3,535 km
Perigee: 3,325 km
Radar cross-section: 0.5766 m²

From CelesTrak SATCAT, checked 2026-11-05. About this source

Where it came from

Parent object: MIDAS 3 (NORAD 163)

The object this one was attached to at launch, or broke off from, as GCAT records it.

Everything from this launch

Debris5 in total, 4 still in orbit
Payload1 in total, 1 still in orbit