Vela 5A

Vela 5A

Post-launch separation of Vela 5A and 5B
Operator	USAF
COSPAR ID	1969-046D[1]
SATCAT no.	3954
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer	TRW
Launch mass	259 kilograms (571 lb)
Power	120 W
Start of mission
Launch date	May 23, 1969, 07:57:01 (1969-05-23UTC07:57:01Z) UTC
Rocket	Titan III-C 15
Launch site	Cape Canaveral LC-41
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Highly Elliptical
Semi-major axis	117,689 kilometres (73,129 mi)
Perigee altitude	29,122.4 kilometres (18,095.8 mi)
Apogee altitude	193,514.6 kilometres (120,244.4 mi)
Inclination	42°
Period	6,696.8 minutes (111.613 h)
Vela

Vela 5A (also known Vela 9 and OPS 6909^[2]) was an American reconnaissance satellite to detect explosions and nuclear tests on land and in space. It was released together with Vela 5B, OV5 5, OV5 6 and OV5 9.^[3]

Instruments

• 2 optical bhangmeters observing the planet
• 12 external X-ray detectors
• 18 internal neutron and gamma-ray detectors

See also

• Vela (satellite)

References

1. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. "Vela 5A". Retrieved 29 September 2019. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
2. Antonín Vítek. "1969-046D - Vela 9". Space 40 (in Czech). Retrieved 29 September 2019.
3. Krebs, Gunter. "Vela 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 (advanced Vela)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 29 September 2019.