CERTIFICATE OF RE-ENTRYOrbital Register™ · by Orbital Radar™
Entry no.
1962-0008
FTV 2301
FTV 2301 (NORAD 242) came down while still attached to its host on 4 March 1962, after 11 days in orbit.
Official date
NORAD number
242
International designator
1962-004A
Object type
Spacecraft
Country
United States
Launched
21 Feb 1962Vandenberg
Re-entered (UTC)
4 Mar 1962UTC calendar dayAlso recorded as 9 Mar 1962
Time in orbit
11 days11 days
How it ended
Came down attached to its host
Latitude range
81.9°N to 81.9°SFinal inclination 81.9°
Mass
289 kg
Operator
NRO / SAFSP
Built by
LMSC / Cutler-Hammer/AIL
Bus
SAMOS F-1
Programme
SAMOS F-1
Where it came down
Latitude band its orbit allowedExact position not recorded
No position was recorded for this re-entry. Its final orbit, inclined at 81.9°, allowed a re-entry anywhere between 81.9°N and 81.9°S.
Life in orbit
11 daysEntered in the Orbital Register™, founding volume, September 2026.
Record version 1 · No corrections · orbitalradar.com/register/1962-0008
© 2026 Orbital Radar. Cite this entry by its number; the register itself may not be copied.
Record version 1 · No corrections · orbitalradar.com/register/1962-0008
© 2026 Orbital Radar. Cite this entry by its number; the register itself may not be copied.