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🛰️ SATELLITE · HISTORICAL RECORD

POPPY 7 Charlie

Retired 1977

POPPY 7 Charlie (NORAD 5681, COSPAR 1971-110D) is a retired US satellite, withdrawn from service around 30 Sep 1977, launched on 14 Dec 1971 on the POPPY 7 SV1 mission. It was operated by NRO / NRL as part of the POPPY programme. The spacecraft was built by NRL on the NRL MULTI bus, with a mass of 128 kg. Historical record from Orbital Radar's satellite archive, cross-referenced with the live satellite catalogue.

1971
launched
1977
retired
55
years on orbit
128
kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched14 Dec 1971 · on the POPPY 7 SV1 mission
Operational30 Sep 1977 · entered service
Retired30 Sep 1977 · end of operational service
StatusOn orbit (not live-tracked)

Specifications

NORAD ID5681
COSPAR1971-110D
TypeSatellite
OperatorNRO / NRL
Country / StateUS
ManufacturerNRL
BusNRL MULTI
Mass128 kg
ProgrammePOPPY
CategorySIG
OrbitLEO (LEO/I)
Altitude978 × 993 km
Inclination70.0°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to POPPY 7 Charlie?

POPPY 7 Charlie was retired from service around 30 Sep 1977 after launching in 1971. It is no longer operational but remains catalogued.

Who operated and built POPPY 7 Charlie?

POPPY 7 Charlie was operated by NRO / NRL and built by NRL (US).

Launched together

POPPY 7 AlfaNORAD 5678POPPY 7 BravoNORAD 5680POPPY 7 DeltaNORAD 5682
Historical record from the Orbital Radar satellite archive. Sources & methodology: data sources. Accessed 2026-09-06.