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Launch Success
Liftoff Time (GMT)
23:44:00
Sunday November 24, 1991
Watch Replay
Official Livestream
Its primary mission was classified, but it's believed to have involved deploying a Department of Defense payload, possibly a reconnaissance satellite or a satellite for intelligence purposes. The mission lasted six days, during which the crew conducted various experiments and tasks in addition to deploying the classified payload.
Low Earth Orbit
20,240 kilograms
The DSP Block-3 (or DSP-I) satellites represent the third generation of DSP early warning satellites, each costing approximately $180 million. These spacecraft utilize slow spinning (6 rpm) around the nadir axis to enable Earth scanning by the detector system, while zero momentum (three-axis) stabilization is achieved using a reaction wheel to counter the spacecraft spin. With four deployed solar panels, they generate roughly 1300 W of power. DSP satellites are radiation hardened and feature a classified payload, likely consisting of a telescope with a 6000-element IR array, nuclear explosion detectors, and particle detection monitors.
Geostationary Earth Orbit
1 Payload
2,386 kilograms
Agency
NASAPrice
$450.00 million
Rocket
Height: 56.1m
Payload to Orbit
LEO: 27,500 kg
GTO: 3,810 kg
Liftoff Thrust
30,250 Kilonewtons
Stages
2
Strap-ons
2
44th
Mission
6th
Mission of 1991
84th
Orbital launch attempt