Trumpet

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Class: SIGINT. Destination: Molniya Orbit. Nation: USA. Agency: U.S. Air Force.

Trumpet signals intelligence satellites were equipped with a large deployable mesh antenna, and were designed to monitor Soviet communications and missile tests. They were placed into Molniya-type orbits. The structural limitation of the Centaur upper stage implies their mass was limited to 5200 kg, although the theoretical payload of the Titan IV launch vehicle into a Molniya-type orbit was more like 8,000 kg.

Typical orbit: 872 x 26198 km, 60.8 deg inclinaton. Associated Launch Vehicle: Titan 4.

Trumpet Chronology

1994 May 3 - USA 103 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Titan. Mass: 5,200 kg (11,400 lb). Perigee: 518 km (321 mi). Apogee: 537 km (333 mi). Inclination: 55.10 deg. Period: 95.20 min.
Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B).

1995 July 10 - USA 112 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Titan. Mass: 5,200 kg (11,400 lb). Perigee: 1,000 km (600 mi). Apogee: 39,000 km (24,000 mi). Inclination: 64.00 deg.

1997 November 8 - USA 136 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Titan. Mass: 5,200 kg (11,400 lb). Perigee: 1,100 km (600 mi). Apogee: 39,059 km (24,270 mi). Inclination: 63.60 deg.

Bibliography:

McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page (launch records), Harvard University, 1997-present. Web Address when accessed: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.
McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Report (Internet Newsletter), Harvard University, Weekly, 1989 to Present. Web Address when accessed: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.
JPL Mission and Spacecraft Library, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1997. Web Address when accessed: http://msl.jpl.nasa.gov/home.html.

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© Mark Wade, 1997 - 2008 except where otherwise noted.