The Day a Giant Space Balloon United the Cold War
When a 135-foot inflatable mirror bounced a radio signal from England to Russia, it became the first joint US-Soviet space venture - and changed how we think about satellite communication.
Launch Date
June 13, 1968
Launch Site
Launch Pad
LC41
Launch Vehicle
Titan IIIC
NORAD ID
03289
International Designator
1968-050F
Epoch
Sun, 19 Jul 2026 14:42:25 GMT
Apogee
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Perigee
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Inclination
7.15°
Right Ascension
53.00°
Eccentricity
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Argument of Perigee
141.39°
Period
1342.19 min
Mean Motion
1.07 rev/day
Latitude
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Longitude
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Altitude
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Velocity
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Name
OPS 9346 (IDSCS 25)
Alternative Name
OPS 9346
Type
Status
Owner
SAMSO
Country
United States
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
1 03289U 68050F 26200.61280037 -.00000071 00000+0 00000+0 0 9995
2 03289 7.1467 52.9985 0046024 141.3892 151.3896 01.07287242 50990
Source: Celestrak
Apologies, there is no summary for this satellite yet. I am working to generate these for every object in the catalog, but it is going to take time.
Length
0.9
Diameter
0.9
Span
0.9
Dry Mass
45
Launch Mass
45
Shape
Poly
Radar Cross Section
0.3981
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
IDCSP 25
Purpose
Communication
Mission
Communication
Manufacturer
PHFO
Life Expectancy
3 years
Bus
IDCSP
Configuration
Spin-Stabilization, omnidirectional antenna (despun antenna on #19)
Motor
None
Equipment
1 X-band transponder
Power System
Solar cells
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
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