Military weather-related and scientific/research satellites

Below are checklists of military weather-related and scientific/research satellites, launch dates, and images of the satellites. This is a work in progress, and completeness is our goal. If readers know of additional information or images, please contact the authors using the e-mail addresses at the bottom of this page.

Satellite series covered on this page:

U.S. Air Force (USAF) Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP)^* series:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
DMSP-1A-F1 / P35-1 [failed]	1962-05-24	DMSP-1A	DMSP	DMSP
DMSP-1A-F2 / P35-2	1962-08-23
DMSP-1A-F3 / P35-5 [failed]	1963-09-27
DMSP-2A-F1 / P35-3	1963-02-19
DMSP-2A-F2 / P35-4 [failed]	1963-04-26
DMSP-3A-F1 / P35-6	1964-01-19
DMSP-3A-F2 / P35-7	1964-01-19
DMSP-3A-F3 / P35-8	1964-06-18
DMSP-3A-F4 / P35-9	1964-06-18
DMSP-3B-F1	1965-01-19
DMSP-3B-F2	1965-03-18
DMSP-3B-F3	1965-05-20
DMSP-3B-F4	1965-09-09
DMSP-3B-F5 [failed]	1966-01-07
DMSP-3B-F6	1966-03-30
DMSP-4A-F1	1966-09-16	DMSP-4A DMSP-4A DMSP-4
DMSP-4A-F2	1967-02-08
DMSP-4A-F3	1967-08-23
DMSP-4A-F4	1967-10-11
DMSP-4B-F1	1968-05-23
DMSP-4B-F2	1968-10-23
DMSP-4B-F3	1969-07-23
DMSP-5A-F1	1970-02-11	DMSP-5A DMSP-5A DMSP-5
DMSP-5A-F2	1970-09-03
DMSP-5A-F3	1971-02-17
DMSP-5B-F1	1971-10-14	DMSP-5B DMSP-5B DMSP-5B/5C DMSP-5B/5C
DMSP-5B-F2	1972-03-24
DMSP-5B-F3	1972-11-08
DMSP-5B-F4	1973-08-17
DMSP-5B-F5	1974-03-16
DMSP-5C-F1	1974-08-08	DMSP-5C DMSP-5B/5C DMSP-5B/5C
DMSP-5C-F2	1975-05-23
DMSP-5C-F3 [failed]	1976-02-19
DMSP-5D1-F1 / AMS-1	1976-09-11	DMSP-5D DMSP-5D DMSP-5D1
DMSP-5D1-F2 / AMS-2	1977-06-04
DMSP-5D1-F3 / AMS-3	1978-05-01
DMSP-5D1-F4 / AMS-4	1979-06-06
DMSP-5D1-F5 / AMS-5 [failed]	1980-07-14
DMSP-5D2-F6	1982-12-21	DMSP-5D2 DMSP-5D2
DMSP-5D2-F7	1983-11-18
DMSP-5D2-F8 / USA-26	1987-06-20
DMSP-5D2-F9 / USA-29	1988-02-03
DMSP-5D2-F10 / USA-68	1990-12-01
DMSP-5D2-F11 / USA-73	1991-11-28
DMSP-5D2-F12 / USA-106	1994-08-29
DMSP-5D2-F13 / USA-109	1995-03-24	DMSP-5D3 DMSP-5D3
DMSP-5D2-F14 / USA-131	1997-04-04
DMSP-5D3-F15 / USA-147	1999-12-12
DMSP-5D3-F16 / USA-172	2003-10-18
DMSP-5D3-F17 / USA-191?	2006-11-04
DMSP-5D3-F18	2009-10-18
DMSP-S19	200?
DMSP-S20	200?

^*DMSP numbering follows that given by Gunter Krebs.

U.S. Air Force (USAF) Discoverer / Corona-series satellites:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
Discoverer-0 / Corona-0 [failed]	1959-01-21	Discoverer Discoverer	Discoverer	Discoverer
Discoverer-1 / Corona-1	1959-02-28
Discoverer-2 / Corona-2	1959-04-13
Discoverer-3 / Corona-3 [failed]	1959-06-03
Discoverer-4 / Corona-4 / KH1-1 [failed]	1959-06-25
Discoverer-5 / Corona-5 / KH1-2	1959-08-13
Discoverer-6 / Corona-6 / KH1-3	1959-08-19
Discoverer-7 / Corona-7 / KH1-4	1959-11-07
Discoverer-8 / Corona-8 / KH1-5	1959-11-20
Discoverer-9 / Corona-9 / KH1-6 [failed]	1960-02-04
Discoverer-10 / Corona-10 / KH1-7 [failed]	1960-02-19
Discoverer-11 / Corona-11 / KH1-8	1960-04-15
Discoverer-12 / Corona-12 [failed]	1960-06-29
Discoverer-13 / Corona-13	1960-08-10
Discoverer-14 / Corona-14 / KH1-9	1960-08-18
Discoverer-15 / Corona-15 / KH1-10	1960-09-13
Discoverer-16 / Corona-16 / KH2-1 [failed]	1960-10-26
Discoverer-17 / Corona-17 / KH2-2	1960-11-12
Discoverer-18 / Corona-18 / KH2-3	1960-12-07
Discoverer-19 / Corona-19 / RM-1	1960-12-20
Discoverer-20 / Corona-20 / KH5-1	1961-02-17
Discoverer-21 / Corona-21 / RM-2	1961-02-18
Discoverer-22 / Corona-22 / KH2-4 [failed]	1961-03-30
Discoverer-23 / Corona-23 / KH5-2	1961-04-08
Discoverer-24 / Corona-24 / KH5-3 [failed]	1961-06-08
Discoverer-25 / Corona-25 / KH2-5	1961-06-16
Discoverer-26 / Corona-26 / KH2-6	1961-07-07
Discoverer-27 / Corona-27 / KH5-4 [failed]	1961-07-22
Discoverer-28 / Corona-28 / KH2-7 [failed]	1961-08-03
Discoverer-29 / Corona-29 / KH3-1	1961-08-30
Discoverer-30 / Corona-30 / KH3-2	1961-09-12
Discoverer-31 / Corona-31 / KH3-3	1961-09-17
Discoverer-32 / Corona-32 / KH3-4	1961-10-13
Discoverer-33 / Corona-33 / KH3-5 [failed]	1961-10-23
Discoverer-34 / Corona-34 / KH3-6	1961-11-05
Discoverer-35 / Corona-35 / KH3-7	1961-11-15
Discoverer-36 / Corona-36 / KH3-8	1961-12-12
Discoverer-37 / Corona-37 / KH3-9 [failed]	1962-01-13
Discoverer-38 / Corona-38 / KH4-1	1962-02-27
Discoverer-39 / Corona-39 / KH4-2	1962-04-18
Later Key Hole (KH) series satellites

U.S. Air Force (USAF) Environmental Remote Sensing (ERS), Tetrahedral Research Satellite (TRS), and Octahedral Research Satellite (ORS) series satellites:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
ERS-2 / TRS-2	1962-09-17	ERS	ERS-2
ERS-1 / TRS-1	1962-11-11
ERS-3 / TRS-3	1962-12-17
ERS-4 / TRS-4	1962-12-17
ERS-5 / TRS-5	1963-05-09		MIDAS-7+TRS-5+6+DASH-1+Westford-2
ERS-6 / TRS-6	1963-05-09
ERS-7 / TRS-7	1963-06-12
ERS-8 / TRS-8	1963-06-12
ERS-9 / TRS-9	1963-07-19		MIDAS-9+TRS-9+10+DASH-2
ERS-10 / TRS-10	1963-07-19
ERS-11 / TRS-11	not launched
ERS-12 / TRS-12	1963-10-17		ERS-12+Vela-1+2
ERS-13 / TRS-13	1964-07-17		ERS-13+Vela-3+4
ERS-14 / TRS-14	not launched
ERS-17 / ORS-3	1965-07-20	ORS-3 ERS-17+Vela-5+6	ERS-17+Vela-5+6 ERS-17+Vela-5+6 ERS-17+Vela-5+6 (wrong image)
ERS-16 / ORS-2	1966-06-09
ERS-15 / ORS-1	1966-08-19
ERS-18 / ORS-4	1967-04-28		ERS-18+OV5-1+OV5-3+Vela-7+8 (not Vela-4)

U.S. Air Force (USAF) Vela-series satellites:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
Vela-1, Vela-2	1963-10-17	Vela-1	ERS-12+Vela-1+2
Vela-3, Vela-4	1964-07-17		ERS-13+Vela-3+4
Vela-5, Vela-6	1965-07-20	ERS-17+Vela-5+6	ERS-17+Vela-5+6 ERS-17+Vela-5+6 ERS-17+Vela-5+6 (wrong image)
Vela-7, Vela-8	1967-04-28		ERS-18+OV5-1+OV5-3+Vela-7+8 (not Vela-4)
Vela-9, Vela-10	1969-05-23		OV5-5+6+9+Vela-9+10 (not Vela-5)
Vela-11, Vela-12	1970-04-08		Vela-11+12
Vela	Unspecified	Vela

(Selected) U.S. Air Force (USAF) Orbiting Vehicle (OV) series satellites:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
OV1-2	1965-10-05	OV1	OV1-2 OV1-2 OV1-2 (insert)
OV2-1	1965-10-15		OV2-1 OV2-1 OV2-1 (insert)
OV2-3	1965-12-21		LES-3+4+OV2-3+OSCAR-4 LES-3+4+OV2-3+OSCAR-4 (mislabeled OSCAR-2)
OV1-8	1966-07-14	OV1-8
OV3-1	1966-10-28		OV3-1
OV4-3	1966-11-03	OV4-3
OV3-5	1967-01-21	OV3	OV3-5
OV5-1, OV5-5	1967-04-28		ERS-18+OV5-1+OV5-3+Vela-7+8 (not Vela-4)
OV1-13, OV1-14	1968-04-06	OV1-14	OV1-13+14 OV1-13+14
OV1-15, OV1-16	1968-07-11		OV1-15+16 OV1-15+16
OV2-5, OV5-2, OV5-4	1968-09-26	OV2-5 OV5-4	LES-6+OV2-5+OV5-2+4
OV1-17, OV1-17A, OV1-18, OV1-19	1969-03-17		OV1-17+17A+18+19
OV5-5, OV5-6, OV5-9	1969-05-23		OV5-5+6+9+Vela-9+10 (not Vela-5)
OV1-20, OV1-21	1971-08-07		OV1-20+21+CannonBall-2+others

U.S. Air Force (USAF) Lincoln Experimental Satellite (LES) series:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
LES-1	1965-02-11
LES-2	1965-05-06
LES-3, LES-4	1965-12-21		LES-3+4+OV2-3+OSCAR-4 LES-3+4+OV2-3+OSCAR-4 (mislabeled OSCAR-2)
LES-5	1967-07-01
LES-6	1968-09-26		LES-6 LES-6+OV2-5+OV5-2+4
LES-7	Unknown
LES-8, LES-9	1976-03-15		SolRad-11A+11B+LES-8+9

U.S. Air Force (USAF) MIssile Defense Alarm System (MIDAS) series satellites:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
MIDAS-1 [failed]	1960-02-26
MIDAS-2	1960-05-24		MIDAS-2
MIDAS-3	1961-07-12		MIDAS-3
MIDAS-4	1961-10-21		MIDAS-4
MIDAS-5	1962-04-09		MIDAS-5
MIDAS-6	1962-12-17
MIDAS-7	1963-05-09		MIDAS-7+TRS-5+6+DASH-1+Westford-2
MIDAS-8	1963-06-13
MIDAS-9	1963-07-18		MIDAS-9+TRS-9+10+DASH-2
MIDAS-10	1966-06-09
MIDAS-11	1966-08-19
MIDAS-12	1966-10-05

(Selected) U.S. Air Force (USAF) Key Hole (KH) series satellites:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
Earlier Discoverer / Corona / Key Hole (KH) satellites
KH4-3	1962-04-28		KH4-3
KH5-9034A	1962-05-15		KH5-9034A
KH4-9047	1962-11-05		KH4-9047
KH4-9056, Hitchhiker-1	1963-06-26		KH4-9056+Hitchhiker-1 (not Discoverer) Hitchhiker-1
KH4-9061 [failed]	1963-11-27		KH4-9061 (not Discoverer)
KH4A-1019	1965-04-29		KH4A-1019
KH4A-1021	1965-05-18		KH4A-1021
KH4A-1036	1966-08-09		KH4A-1036
KH8-07	1967-08-16		KH8-07
KH4A-1050	1969-03-19		KH4A-1050
KH8-34	1972-03-17		KH8-34 (ESRO-2 image)
KH4B-1117	1972-05-25		KH4B-1117
KH8-37	1972-12-21		KH8-37 (Satellite 647)
KH9-05	1973-03-09		KH9-05 (SAMOS-92)
KH8-43	1974-08-14		KH8-43 (SAMOS-100)
KH9-09	1974-10-29		KH9-09 (BigBird-9 / SAMOS-101)
KH9-10	1975-08-06		KH9-10 (Bigbird-10 / SAMOS-103)
KH8-45	1975-10-09		KH8-45 (SAMOS-104)
KH8-46	1976-03-22		KH8-46 (not DMSP)
KH11-3	1980-02-07		KH11-3

U.S. Air Force (USAF) Satellite And Missile Observation Satellite (SAMOS) series satellites:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
SAMOS-1 [failed]	1960-10-11		SAMOS-1 SAMOS-1
SAMOS-2	1961-01-31		SAMOS-2 SAMOS-2
SAMOS-3 [failed]	1961-09-09
SAMOS-4	1961-11-22
SAMOS-5	1961-12-22
SAMOS-6	1962-03-07		SAMOS-6 SAMOS-6
SAMOS-7	1962-04-26		SAMOS-7 (or SolRad-4B)
SAMOS-8	1962-06-17
SAMOS-9	1962-07-18
SAMOS-10	1962-08-05		SAMOS-10
SAMOS-11	1962-11-11

(Selected) U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) United States of America (USA) series satellites (without other names):

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
USA-19	1986-09-05		USA-19
USA-41 / GLOMR? [STS/Colombia-launched]	1989-08-08
USA-70 / GLOMR MPEC? [STS/Discovery-launched]	1991-04-28

Other (selected) U.S. military satellites:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
GRS	1963-06-29		GRS GRS
DASH-1	1963-05-09		MIDAS-7+TRS-5+6+DASH-1+Westford-2
DASH-2	1963-07-18		MIDAS-9+TRS-9+10+DASH-2
ORBIS-1	1964-04-21		ORBIS-1 ORBIS-1
Snapshot	1965-04-03		Snapshot+SECOR-4 (SNAP-10A) Snapshot+SECOR-4 (SNAP-10A)
GGTS	1966-06-16		GGTS+IDCSP-1
DODGE	1967-07-01	DODGE
Canyon-1	1968-08-06		Canyon-1 Canyon-1
Canyon-3	1970-09-01		Canyon-3
IMEWS-1	1970-11-06	IMEWS-1	IMEWS-1 (not MIDAS-10)
Cannonball-2	1971-08-07	Cannonball-2	OV1-20+21+CannonBall-2+others
Rhyolite-2 / Aquacade-2	1973-03-06		Rhyolite-2 Rhyolite-2
SPHINX	1974-02-11		SPHINX
NOSS-1 / Whitecloud-1	1976-04-30		Whitecloud-1
DSP-F7	1977-02-06	DSP-8	DSP-F7
Rhyolite-4 / Aquacade-4	1978-04-07		Rhyolite-4
Magnum-1 / Orion-1 / USA-8 [STS/Discovery-launched]	1985-01-24
Lacrosse-1 / Onyx-1 / USA-34 [STS/Atlantis-launched]	1988-12-02
Magnum-2 / Orion-2 / USA-48 [STS/Discovery-launched]	1989-11-23
Misty-1 / USA-53 [STS/Atlantis-launched]	1990-02-28
DSP-16 / USA-75 [STS/Atlantis-launched]	1991-11-21	DSP-14
Trumpet-3 / USA-136	1997-11-07		USA-136
Mightysat-1 (P97-2) [STS/Endeavour-launched]	1998-12-15	Mightysat-1
Mightysat-2 (P99-1, Sindri)	2000-07-19	Mightysat-2
MITEX-A, MITEX-B	2006-06-21	MITEX-A MITEX-B	MITEX-A+B

French Helios-series reconnaissance satellites:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
Helios-1A	1995-07-07		Helios-1A+Cerise+Upm/lb
Helios-1B	1999-12-03
Helios-2A	2004-12-18		Helios-2A Helios-2A
Helios-2B	200?
Helios	Unspecified	Helios		Helios

Israeli Ofeq-series reconnaissance satellites:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
Ofeq-1 [failed]	1988-09-19	Ofeq-1	Ofeq	Ofeq
Ofeq-2	1990-04-03	Ofeq-2
Ofeq-3	1995-04-05	Ofeq-3
Ofeq-4 / EROS-A [failed]	1998-01-23
Ofeq-5	2002-05-28	Ofeq-5
Ofeq-6 [failed]	2004-09-06
Ofeq-7	2007-06-10

German reconnaissance satellites:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
SAR-Lupe-1	2006-12-19	SAR-Lupe-1	SAR-Lupe-1 SAR-Lupe-1
SAR-Lupe-2	2007-07-02

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