In orbitRocket body

DELTA 1 R/B

NORAD: 3616
COSPAR: 1968-114B

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

Built by: Aerojet Engineering
Owner: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Platform (bus): Ablestar
Mass at launch: 785 kg(estimate, good to about 20%)
Dry mass: 785 kg(estimate, good to about 20%)
Length: 5.2 m
Diameter: 1.4 m
Span with arrays and booms: 5.2 m
Shape: Cyl

From GCAT by Jonathan McDowell (CC BY 4.0), record S03616, checked 2026-11-05. About this source

Launch

Launch date: 1968-12-15
Rocket: Thor Delta N
Flight: ESSA 8
Mission name: TOS F
Launch site: V, SLC2E
Launched by: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Rocket performance: Success
Launch designator: 1968-114

From the GCAT launch log, launch 1968-114, checked 2026-11-05. About this source

Catalogue record

Object type: Rocket body
Owner code: US
Launch date: 1968-12-15
Period: 115.1 min
Inclination: 101.70°
Apogee: 1,469 km
Perigee: 1,448 km
Radar cross-section: 4.0847 m²

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

Where it came from

Catalogued pieces that came from it: 18

Everything from this launch

Debris19 in total, 19 still in orbit
Payload1 in total, 1 still in orbit
Rocket body1 in total, 1 still in orbit