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1960 · United States Air Force

Transit 2A

successThor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit 2A

The Transit system was the first satellite navigation system to be used operationally. The system was primarily used by the U.S. Navy to provide accurate location information to its Polaris ballistic missile submarines, and it was also used as a navigation system by the Navy's surface ships, as well as for hydrographic survey and geodetic surveying.

Overview

Date / time
June 22, 1960 at 05:54 AM UTC
Outcome
success
Launch site
Space Launch Complex 17B
Mission
Transit 2A
Mission type
Navigation
Orbit achieved
Polar Orbit
Launch vehicle
Thor DM-21 Ablestar →
Launch provider
United States Air Force →

Payloads deployed · 2

SOLRAD 1 (GREB)
LEO
TRANSIT 2A
LEO