GGSE 4

retired

Signals IntelligenceLEOCOSPAR 1967-053CLaunched 5/31/1967

Admin Edit

Mission & Launch

Launch Mission: POPPY 5/NRL Comp 6
Launch Vehicle: Thor SLV-2 Agena D
Launch Date: 5/31/1967
Last Contact: 5/22/1972

Orbit & Mass

Orbit Class: LEO
Altitude: 920.5 km
Inclination: 69.98 deg
Dry Mass: 85 kg
Total Mass: 85 kg

Payload Classification

Mission Type: Signals Intelligence
Payload Category: SIG
Payload Class: D

Organizations

Operator: U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)
Manufacturer: U.S. Naval Research Lab

Registry

COSPAR ID: 1967-053C
UN Registration: A/AC.105/INF.175

Track

Mentions

5

All verified mentions of this spacecraft in source documents.

Observations by LeoLabs and the Defense Department after the 2020-01-29 conjunction confirmed both IRAS and GGSE 4 were intact.

CapabilityGeneralValue 2.8Jan 31, 2020Commerce Department moves ahead on space traffic management work despite limited budget

Two defunct satellites, the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) and GGSE 4, had a predicted conjunction at 6:39 p.m. Eastern on 2020-01-29.

GeneralPlanValue 2.0Jan 31, 2020Commerce Department moves ahead on space traffic management work despite limited budget

GGSE-4 was launched in 1967, is not operational or capable of maneuvering, and is also known as POPPY-5B.

CapabilityGeneralValue 3.8Jan 29, 2020Potential satellite collision shows need for active debris removal

LeoLabs identified a potential conjunction between the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) and the Gravity Gradient Stabilization Experiment (GGSE) 4 satellite on 2025-01-27.

GeneralPlanValue 3.2Jan 29, 2020Potential satellite collision shows need for active debris removal

LeoLabs estimated on 2025-01-27 that there was approximately a 1-in-100 chance that IRAS and GGSE-4 would collide at 6:39 p.m. Eastern on 2025-01-29 at an altitude of about 900 km nearly directly above Pittsburgh.

CapabilityPlanValue 4.0Jan 29, 2020Potential satellite collision shows need for active debris removal