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Thor Delta E | ESSA 3

McDonnell Douglas | United States of America
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Oct. 2, 1966, 10:39 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

The ESSA series was the second generation of US meterological satellites after the TIROS (Television & Infra-Red Observation Satellite) series. They were also called OT (Operational TIROS), TOS (TIROS Operational Satellite).

Sun-Synchronous Orbit
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Titan IIIB | KH-8 2

Lockheed Martin | United States of America
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Sept. 28, 1966, 7:07 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

KH-8 or Gambit-3 was the second generation of Gambit high resolution reconnaissance satellites.

Low Earth Orbit
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Lambda 4S | Ohsumi 1

Institute of Space and Astronautical Science | Japan
Uchinoura Space Center, Japan
Sept. 26, 1966, 2:58 a.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

Ohsumi was a series of five small satellites built to become the first Japanese satellite on orbit.

Low Earth Orbit
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Thor SLV-2A Agena D | KH-4A 36

McDonnell Douglas | United States of America
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Sept. 20, 1966, 9:14 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

The KH-4A (Keyhole-4A) was the fifth optical reconnaissance satellite version in the Corona-program.

Low Earth Orbit
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Atlas Centaur D | Surveyor 2

Convair | United States of America
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Sept. 20, 1966, 12:32 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Lunar probe lost due to the failure of a vernier engine during a midcourse correction maneuver which sent the spacecraft in an unrecoverable tumble.

Lunar Impactor
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R-36O 8K69 | OGCh 5

Yuzhnoye Design Bureau | Ukraine
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
Sept. 17, 1966, 10:35 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Missile equipped with the 8F021 warhead

Low Earth Orbit
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Nike Cajun | Trailblazer Pellet

National Aeronautics and Space Administration | United States of America
Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA
Sept. 17, 1966, 1:57 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Suborbital launch to test re-entry systems. Reached an apogee of 280 km.

Suborbital
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Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | KH-7 32

Convair | United States of America
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Sept. 16, 1966, 5:59 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

The Program 206 satellite, carrying the KH-7 (Keyhole 7) camera system (codenamed Gambit-1), was the first successful high resolution space reconnaissance program. It was managed by NRO's Program A, the USAF-led segment of the National Reconnaissance Program managed from Los Angeles AFB in El Segundo, California.

Sun-Synchronous Orbit
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Vostok 8A92 | Zenit-2 41

RKK Energiya | Russia
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
Sept. 16, 1966, 9:30 a.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

Zenit-2 film-return and ELINT reconnaissance satellite.

Low Earth Orbit
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Thor Burner 2 | DSAP-4A F1

McDonnell Douglas | United States of America
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Sept. 16, 1966, 4:36 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

DSAP-4A (Defense Satellite Application Program Block 4A) was the fourth version of the military meteorological satellites of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program.

Sun-Synchronous Orbit
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