In orbitRocket body

ATLAS CENTAUR R/B

NORAD: 6779
COSPAR: 1971-116B

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: General Dynamics/Convair Division (Plant 19)
Owner: NASA Lewis Research Center
Platform (bus): Centaur D
Mass at launch: 2,000 kg(estimate, good to about 20%)
Dry mass: 1,700 kg(estimate, good to about 20%)
Total mass with attached parts: 1,700 kg(estimate, good to about 20%)
Length: 9.1 m
Diameter: 3.1 m
Span with arrays and booms: 9.1 m
Shape: Cyl

From GCAT by Jonathan McDowell (CC BY 4.0), record S06779, checked 2026-11-05. About this source

Launch

Launch date: 1971-12-20
Rocket: Atlas SLV-3C Centaur
Flight: Intelsat 4 F-3
Mission name: INTELSAT IV F3
Launch site: CC, LC36A
Launched by: NASA Lewis Research Center
Rocket performance: Success
Launch designator: 1971-116

From the GCAT launch log, launch 1971-116, checked 2026-11-05. About this source

Catalogue record

Object type: Rocket body
Owner code: US
Launch date: 1971-12-20
Period: 655.5 min
Inclination: 28.39°
Apogee: 36,580 km
Perigee: 655 km
Radar cross-section: 14.8461 m²

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

Where it came from

Catalogued pieces that came from it: 1

Everything from this launch

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