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🛰️ SATELLITE · HISTORICAL RECORD

ARGON 6

Re-entered 21 Jan 1964

ARGON 6 (NORAD 681, COSPAR 1963-042A) was a US satellite that re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 21 Jan 1964, launched on 29 Oct 1963 on the ARGON 6 mission. It was operated by NRO / ACE as part of the CORONA ARGON programme. The spacecraft was built by LMSC on the CORONA ARGON bus, with a mass of 480 kg. Like most satellites in low orbits, it was gradually slowed by atmospheric drag until re-entry. Historical record from Orbital Radar's satellite archive, cross-referenced with the live satellite catalogue.

1963
launched
1964
re-entered
1
year on orbit
480
kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched29 Oct 1963 · on the ARGON 6 mission
Operational6 Nov 1963 · entered service
Retired6 Nov 1963 · end of operational service
Re-entered21 Jan 1964 · atmospheric re-entry — object destroyed

Specifications

NORAD ID681
COSPAR1963-042A
TypeSatellite
OperatorNRO / ACE
Country / StateUS
ManufacturerLMSC
BusCORONA ARGON
Mass480 kg
ProgrammeCORONA ARGON
CategoryIMG
OrbitLEO (LLEO/P)
Altitude275 × 308 km
Inclination89.9°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to ARGON 6?

ARGON 6 re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 21 Jan 1964, ending a mission that began with its launch in 1963. Objects in low orbits are gradually slowed by atmospheric drag until they fall back and burn up on re-entry.

When did ARGON 6 re-enter the atmosphere?

ARGON 6 re-entered on 21 Jan 1964, according to Orbital Radar's historical catalogue records.

Who operated and built ARGON 6?

ARGON 6 was operated by NRO / ACE and built by LMSC (US).

Launched together

P-11 No. 4001Re-entered 1965
Historical record from the Orbital Radar satellite archive. Sources & methodology: data sources. Accessed 2026-09-06.