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NIMBUS 3, 3890

Orbit data source: Space-Track

NIMBUS 3, 3890 is a payload satellite owned by GSFC (US) in SSO that was launched on Mon, 14 Apr 1969 UTC via a THORAD SLV-2G AGENA D launch vehicle from the Air Force Western Test Range (AFWTR). Payload-class satellites include a variety of spacecraft equipped with specific instruments for various scientific and technological missions. These include communications satellites like Starlink; space stations such as the ISS; scientific satellites like the Hubble; Earth observation satellites from companies like Planet Labs, Umbra, and HawkEye 360; GPS; miniature CubeSats for education and research; and military/defense satellites.

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<iframe src="https://www.satcat.com/sats-embedded/3890?theme=dark&initialShowStats=false" width="600" height="400" frameborder="0" title="Kayhan Space Satcat Satellite Viewer"></iframe>

Iframe URL

https://www.satcat.com/sats-embedded/3890?theme=dark&initialShowStats=false

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ISO8601 Format

Identifier

3890, 1969-037A

Orbit

SSO

Last TLE update

11 hours ago

Origin

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (US)

Manufacturer

GE/MSVD

Mission

Non-operational Civil Weather

Bus & Motor

NIMBUS, Unknown motor

Mass

576 kg wet, 576 kg dry

Launch date (UTC)

1969-04-14 (56 years ago)

Launch vehicle

THORAD SLV-2G AGENA D

Launch site

Air Force Western Test Range (AFWTR)

Object type

Payload

Rocket body

Debris

Shape & HBR

Cone + 2 Pan, 1.7 m

Radar Cross Section

2.947 m², Large (>1 m²)

Expand to show TLE details & history

TLE from 11 hours ago

0 NIMBUS 3
1  3890U 69037A   25214.20805903 -.00000039  00000-0  70345-5 0  9993
2  3890  99.7484 101.4913 0039879  23.6139  89.0701 13.42650972758433

Epoch: 2025-08-02T04:59Z

TLE epoch observation values (Epoch: 2025-08-02T04:59:36.3Z)

Latitude

65.08032°

Longitude

-82.87177°

Altitude

1,110.203 km

Speed

7.304 km/s

True Right ascension

20h 12m 18s

True Declination

64° 57' 17"

Sunlit

Object was in daylight at epoch

Visualization orbit readout

Latitude

-16.30302°

Longitude

-106.87456°

Altitude

1,135.381 km

Speed

7.27 km/s

Apparent Right ascension

18h 19m 09s

Apparent Declination

-27° 05' 08"

Sunlit

Object is in full shadow

Visualization observer readout

Local Sidereal Time

05:53:54

Azimuth

335.871° NNW

Elevation

-76.141°

Doppler factor

Orbital elements

Apogee altitude

1,126.543 km

Perigee altitude

1,066.925 km

Semi-major axis

7,474.871 km

Eccentricity

0.00399

Inclination

99.7484°

RAAN

101.4913°

Arg. of periapsis

23.6139°

True anomaly

89.52705°

Mean anomaly

89.0701°

Eccentric anomaly

89.29857°

Mean motion

3.35844 °/min

Orbital period

107.19 mins

BSTAR

0.0000070345

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Other satellites on launch #37 in the year 1969 (1969-04-14 UTC)

SECOR 13 (EGRS 13), 3891

THORAD AGENA D R/B, 3892

NIMBUS 3 Visibility forecast

Observer location: undefined°, undefined°

Span	Click to sort rows by Start time (UTC) header in descending order	Start Az.	Max El. time (UTC)	Max El. Az.	Max El.	End time (UTC)	End Az.
11 mins	2025-08-02 17:03:21.427Z	191.031° SSW	2025-08-02 17:08:21.427Z	250.865° W	35.59°	2025-08-02 17:14:21.427Z	330.788° NNW
9 mins	2025-08-03 04:19:21.427Z	50.461° ENE	2025-08-03 04:23:21.427Z	97.659° ESE	24.34°	2025-08-03 04:28:21.427Z	148.46° SSE
11 mins	2025-08-03 06:04:21.427Z	359.804° N	2025-08-03 06:09:21.427Z	283.07° WNW	38.315°	2025-08-03 06:15:21.427Z	217.919° SW
5 mins	2025-08-03 14:37:21.427Z	76.608° E	2025-08-03 14:39:21.427Z	56.978° ENE	14.22°	2025-08-03 14:42:21.427Z	28.174° NE

Co-orbital & Co-planar RSOs

Thresholds — Semi-major Axis: ±100 km, RAAN: ±3°, Inclination: ±5°
TCA is derived from TLE conjunctions

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Check out NIMBUS 3, 3890 on other resources

View NIMBUS 3, 3890 on NASA - NSSDCA Website

View NIMBUS 3, 3890 on Heavens-Above

View NIMBUS 3, 3890 on Keep Track

View NIMBUS 3, 3890 on Celestrak

View NIMBUS 3, 3890 on Gunter's Space Page

Satcat and Kayhan Space are not affiliated with NASA, Celestrak, Heavens-Above, Keep Track, or Gunter's Space Page.