 Image of Lincoln Experimental Satellite (LES) 1 | |
| Mission type | Communications satellite |
|---|---|
| Operator | USAF |
| COSPAR ID | 1965-008C |
| SATCAT no. | 01002 |
| Mission duration | 59 years, 9 months, 16 days (elapsed) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | Lincoln Laboratory |
| Launch mass | 31 kg (68 lb)[1] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 11 Feb 1965, 15:19:05 UTC |
| Rocket | Titan IIIA |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral LC20[2] |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Eccentricity | 0.00109 |
| Perigee altitude | 2,780 km (1,730 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 2,803 km (1,742 mi) |
| Inclination | 32.1° |
| Period | 145.80 minutes[1] |
| Epoch | 11 Feb 1965 |
Lincoln Experimental Satellite 1, also known as LES-1, was a communications satellite, the first of nine in the Lincoln Experimental Satellite program. Launched by the United States Air Force (USAF) on February 11, 1965, it pioneered many then-advanced technologies including active use of the military's SHF (super high frequency) band (7 to 8 GHz) to service hundreds of users. LES-1 did not have a successful operational life due to being placed in a suboptimal orbit, and it ceased transmissions in 1967. After 45 years of inactivity, LES-1 spontaneously resumed transmissions in 2012 making it one of the oldest zombie satellites.
- ^ a b "LES-1". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
- ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathon's Space Report. Retrieved December 30, 2018.