Gemstar DSS-1

Mission

Gemstar DSS-1

• Type: Communications
• Orbit: Low Earth Orbit

The CTA GEMStar 1 (VITASAT 1) satellite partially sponsored by Volunteers In Technical Assistance (VITA) of Arlington Virginia, was launched at 2230 UTC from Vandenberg AFB on the 15-Aug-95, but a second stage failure destroyed the first flight of the Lockheed LLV-1 launch vehicle (later dubbed Athena-1).

Location

Space Launch Complex 6

Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Space Launch Complex 6 has witnessed the launch of 14 rockets, including 14 orbital launch attempts, while Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA, has been the site for 749 rocket launches.

Rocket

Lockheed Martin LLV-I (Athena I)

Also known as Athena I, the LLV and LLVM rockets are small expendable launch system used for launches between 1995 and 2001.

Agency

Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin’s Space Division started in the production of missiles and later ICBM’s in the 1950s. Their TITAN missile system was used for 12 Gemini spacecraft and the Voyager probes. They have worked largely in collaboration with NASA on many of their probes, landers, and spacecraft, and hope to play a key role in NASA’s return to the moon in 2024.