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Class: ELINT. Nation: USA. Agency: U.S. Air Force. Still classified, Agena-launched Program 102 Ferret signals intelligence satellites provided the US with its first space-borne ELINT coverage in the 1960's. The Ferrets catalogued Soviet air defence radars, eavesdropped on voice communications, and taped missile and satellite telemetry. Also designated 698BK and Program 770.
SpecificationTotal Mass: 1,500 kg.
Ferret Chronology
21 February 1962
Discoverer 37 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Thor Agena B. FAILURE: Partial failure. Agena failed to restart to circularize orbit. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 169 km. Apogee: 219 km. Inclination: 81.9 deg.
18 June 1962
Ferret 2 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Thor Agena B. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 347 km. Apogee: 377 km. Inclination: 82.1 deg.
16 January 1963
OPS 0180 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Thor Agena B. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 461 km. Apogee: 522 km. Inclination: 81.9 deg.
29 June 1963
OPS 1440 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: TA Thor Agena B. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 487 km. Apogee: 530 km. Inclination: 82.3 deg.
11 January 1964
Agena D 2354 Program: ELINT. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Thor Agena D. Mass: 700 kg. Perigee: 906 km. Apogee: 937 km. Inclination: 69.9 deg. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).
28 February 1964
OPS 3722 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: TA Thor Agena D. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 491 km. Apogee: 516 km. Inclination: 82.1 deg.
02 July 1964
OPS 3395 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: TA Thor Agena D. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 502 km. Apogee: 520 km. Inclination: 82.1 deg.
04 November 1964
OPS 3062 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: TA Thor Agena D. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 512 km. Apogee: 526 km. Inclination: 82.0 deg.
21 December 1964
OPS 3762/Agena D 2355 Program: ELINT. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: TA Thor Agena D. Perigee: 238 km. Apogee: 264 km. Inclination: 70.1 deg. Unknown mission. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).
17 July 1965
OPS 8411 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: TA Thor Agena D. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 471 km. Apogee: 512 km. Inclination: 70.2 deg.
09 February 1966
OPS 1439 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: TA Thor Agena D. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 507 km. Apogee: 511 km. Inclination: 82.0 deg.
29 December 1966
OPS 1584 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: TA Thor Agena D. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 487 km. Apogee: 495 km. Inclination: 75.0 deg.
25 July 1967
OPS 1879 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: TA Thor Agena D. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 390 km. Apogee: 608 km. Inclination: 75.1 deg.
17 January 1968
OPS 1965 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: TA Thor Agena D. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 462 km. Apogee: 536 km. Inclination: 75.1 deg.
05 October 1968
OPS 0964 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: LT Thor Agena D. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 483 km. Apogee: 511 km. Inclination: 75.0 deg.
31 July 1969
OPS 8285 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: LT Thor Agena D. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 465 km. Apogee: 536 km. Inclination: 75.0 deg.
26 August 1970
OPS 8329 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: LT Thor Agena D. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 496 km. Apogee: 499 km. Inclination: 75.0 deg.
16 July 1971
OPS 8373 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: LT Thor Agena D. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 450 km. Apogee: 460 km. Inclination: 74.9 deg.
Bibliography:- 2 - McDowell, Jonathan, The United Nations Registry of Space Objects, Harvard University, 1997. HTML when accessed: http://hea-www.harvard.edu/QEDT/jcm/space/un/un.html
- 6 - JPL Mission and Spacecraft Library, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1997. HTML when accessed: http://msl.jpl.nasa.gov/home.html
- 279 - McDowell, Jonathan, Launch Log, October 1998. HTML when accessed: http://hea-www.harvard.edu/~jcm/space/log/launch.html
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Last update 12 March 2001.
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© Mark Wade, 2001 .