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Titan 403A

Launch vehicle · USA

Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.

Titan 3E Centaur
Titan 3E Centaur
Credit: NASA

American orbital launch vehicle. Version of Titan 4 with no upper stage, configured for launch of lower-mass, higher-orbit Lacrosse, SDS and NOSS-2 payloads from Vandenberg.

LEO Payload: 17,700 kg (39,000 lb).

More at: Titan 403A.

Country
USA
Launch Vehicles
Lacrosse
Agency
Martin

Chronology

5 events

1991 March 8

12:03 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC4E. LV Family: Titan. Launch Vehicle: Titan 403A.
  • USA 69 - . Payload: Lacrosse 2. Nation: USA. Agency: CIA, NRO. Manufacturer: Martin. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military Radarsat. Spacecraft: Lacrosse satellite. USAF Sat Cat: 21147 . COSPAR: 1991-017A. Apogee: 662 km (411 mi). Perigee: 420 km (260 mi). Inclination: 68.00 deg. Period: 95.50 min. Still operating December 1997. First West Coast launch of a Titan 4..

1991 November 8

07:07 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC4E. LV Family: Titan. Launch Vehicle: Titan 403A.
  • USA 72 - . Payload: Intruder 2. Nation: USA. Agency: NRL, NRO. Class: Surveillance. Type: SIGINT. Spacecraft: Intruder. USAF Sat Cat: 21775 . COSPAR: 1991-076A. Apogee: 1,321 km (820 mi). Perigee: 799 km (496 mi). Inclination: 63.40 deg. Period: 106.40 min. Second launch by Titan 4 of new generation of NOSS naval reconnaissance satellites. However earlier NOSS weighed only 2,000 kg; Titan 4 booster has seven times this capacity. What else was launched?.
  • USA 77 - . Payload: Intruder 2. Nation: USA. Agency: NRL, NRO. Class: Surveillance. Type: SIGINT. Spacecraft: Intruder. USAF Sat Cat: 21809 . COSPAR: 1991-076E. Apogee: 1,270 km (789 mi). Perigee: 954 km (593 mi). Inclination: 63.43 deg. Period: 107.44 min.
  • USA 74 - . Payload: Intruder 2. Nation: USA. Agency: NRL, NRO. Class: Surveillance. Type: SIGINT. Spacecraft: Intruder. USAF Sat Cat: 21799 . COSPAR: 1991-076C. Apogee: 1,270 km (789 mi). Perigee: 954 km (593 mi). Inclination: 63.43 deg. Period: 107.44 min.
  • USA 76 - . Payload: Intruder 2. Nation: USA. Agency: NRL, NRO. Class: Surveillance. Type: SIGINT. Spacecraft: Intruder. USAF Sat Cat: 21808 . COSPAR: 1991-076D. Apogee: 1,270 km (789 mi). Perigee: 954 km (593 mi). Inclination: 63.43 deg. Period: 107.44 min.

1993 August 2

19:59 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC4E. LV Family: Titan. Launch Vehicle: Titan 403A. FAILURE: Radial cut inadvertently made in SRM during repairs resulted in explosion of SRM and vehicle at T+101 seconds.. Failed Stage: 0.
  • NOSS 19 - . Payload: Intruder 3. Nation: USA. Agency: USN. Class: Surveillance. Type: SIGINT. Spacecraft: Intruder. Decay Date: 1993-08-02 . Apogee: 33 km (20 mi). Third attempted launch by Titan 4 of new generation of NOSS naval reconnaissance satellites. No known launches of this system thereafter..

1996 May 12

21:32 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC4E. LV Family: Titan. Launch Vehicle: Titan 403A.
  • USA 119 - . Payload: SDS B-2. Mass: 6,300 kg (13,800 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NRL, NRO. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: HS 381 / HS 386. Spacecraft: SDS-2. USAF Sat Cat: 23893 . COSPAR: 1996-029A. Apogee: 1,165 km (723 mi). Perigee: 1,051 km (653 mi). Inclination: 63.40 deg. Period: 107.44 min. Unknown orbit.
  • USA 123 - . Payload: TIPS Ralph. Mass: 54 kg (119 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NRL, NRO. Class: Technology. Type: Tether technology satellite. Spacecraft: TIPS. USAF Sat Cat: 23936 . COSPAR: 1996-029E. Apogee: 1,032 km (641 mi). Perigee: 1,010 km (620 mi). Inclination: 63.40 deg. ??? .
  • USA 124 - . Payload: TIPS Norton. Mass: 54 kg (119 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NRL, NRO. Class: Technology. Type: Tether technology satellite. Spacecraft: TIPS. USAF Sat Cat: 23937 . COSPAR: 1996-029F. Apogee: 1,032 km (641 mi). Perigee: 1,010 km (620 mi). Inclination: 63.40 deg.
  • USA 122 - . Payload: Intruder 4. Nation: USA. Agency: NRL, NRO. Class: Surveillance. Type: SIGINT. Spacecraft: Intruder. USAF Sat Cat: 23862 . COSPAR: 1996-029D. Apogee: 1,156 km (718 mi). Perigee: 1,060 km (650 mi). Inclination: 63.40 deg. Period: 107.40 min.
  • USA 121 - . Payload: Intruder 4. Nation: USA. Agency: NRL, NRO. Class: Surveillance. Type: SIGINT. Spacecraft: Intruder. USAF Sat Cat: 23908 . COSPAR: 1996-029C. Apogee: 1,160 km (720 mi). Perigee: 1,055 km (655 mi). Inclination: 63.40 deg. Period: 107.40 min.
  • USA 120 - . Payload: Intruder 4. Nation: USA. Agency: NRL, NRO. Class: Surveillance. Type: SIGINT. Spacecraft: Intruder. USAF Sat Cat: 23907 . COSPAR: 1996-029B. Apogee: 1,157 km (718 mi). Perigee: 1,058 km (657 mi). Inclination: 63.40 deg. Period: 107.40 min.

1997 October 24

02:32 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC4E. LV Family: Titan. Launch Vehicle: Titan 403A.
  • USA 133 - . Payload: Lacrosse 3. Nation: USA. Agency: CIA, NRO. Manufacturer: Martin. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military Radarsat. Spacecraft: Lacrosse satellite. USAF Sat Cat: 25017 . COSPAR: 1997-064A. Apogee: 679 km (421 mi). Perigee: 666 km (413 mi). Inclination: 57.00 deg. Still operating December 1997..