Vela Credit - USAF

The Vela (meaning "watchman" in Spanish) series of spacecraft were designed to monitor world-wide compliance with the 1963 nuclear test ban treaty. The Vela Nuclear Detection Satellites were launched in pairs into high altitude orbits to detect possible nuclear explosions in space and on earth.

The project was directed by the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the Department of Defense; the USAF Space and Missile Systems organization was responsible for the development of the-spacecraft. Prime Contractor was TRW Systems Group of TRW Inc. The first pair of satellites was launched in October 1963, the second in July 1964, and the third in July 1965. The satellites were so successful, each operating for at least 5 years, that a planned acquisition of a fourth and fifth set of pairs was cancelled. Instead, TRW was awarded a further contract in March 1965 for an Advanced Vela spacecraft series. The Vela series was the first spacecraft procurement to utilize a fixed price incentive contract.

The spacecraft was spin stabilized at 120 rpm. The 20-sided polyhedron had body mounted solar cells generating 90 W. During launch, 2 satellites were connected by a central cylinder containing an apogee motor. The payload included twelve external X-ray detectors and 18 internal neutron and gamma-ray detectors. The third pair of satellites (F5, 6) carried an improved detector package, including an optical nuclear flash instrument.

Design Life: 6 months. Typical orbit: Average 102,000 km, incl. = 38 deg. Length: 1.40 m (4.50 ft). Maximum Diameter: 1.40 m (4.50 ft). Mass: 225 kg (496 lb). Associated Launch Vehicle: Atlas LV-3A / Agena D.

• 1963 October 17 - Vela 2 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Atlas LV-3A / Agena D. Mass: 220 kg (480 lb). Perigee: 101,081 km (62,808 mi). Apogee: 116,582 km (72,440 mi). Inclination: 38.70 deg. Period: 6,486.20 min.

  Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

• 1963 October 17 - Vela 1 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Atlas LV-3A / Agena D. Mass: 220 kg (480 lb). Perigee: 101,925 km (63,333 mi). Apogee: 116,528 km (72,407 mi). Inclination: 37.80 deg. Period: 6,519.60 min.

  Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

• 1964 July 17 - Vela 3 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Atlas LV-3A / Agena D. Mass: 220 kg (480 lb). Perigee: 102,500 km (63,600 mi). Apogee: 104,101 km (64,685 mi). Inclination: 39.10 deg. Period: 6,024.80 min.

  Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

• 1964 July 17 - Vela 4 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Atlas LV-3A / Agena D. Mass: 220 kg (480 lb). Perigee: 92,103 km (57,230 mi). Apogee: 114,000 km (70,000 mi). Inclination: 40.80 deg. Period: 6,004.30 min.

  Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

• 1965 July 20 - Vela 6 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Atlas LV-3A / Agena D. Mass: 235 kg (518 lb). Perigee: 101,715 km (63,202 mi). Apogee: 121,281 km (75,360 mi). Inclination: 34.20 deg. Period: 6,712.70 min.

  Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

• 1965 July 20 - Vela 5 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Atlas LV-3A / Agena D. Mass: 235 kg (518 lb). Perigee: 106,367 km (66,093 mi). Apogee: 115,839 km (71,978 mi). Inclination: 35.20 deg. Period: 6,679.00 min.

  Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

• McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page, Harvard University, 1997-present. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited and over 20,000 rocket launches Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.

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