# TacSat-6

> U.S. military technology demonstration and communications nanosatellite

**Wikidata**: [Q106696146](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106696146)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TacSat-6)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/tacsat-6

## Summary
TacSat-6 is an American communications satellite that was launched on 6 December 2013. It was manufactured by the United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command and operated by the Operationally Responsive Space Office.

## Key Facts
- TacSat-6 is an instance of a communications satellite (an artificial satellite designed for telecommunications).  
- Country of origin: United States.  
- Operator: Operationally Responsive Space Office.  
- Manufacturer: United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command.  
- Launch date and time: 2013-12-06 at 07:14:30 (UTC qualifier).  
- Launch vehicle: Atlas V 501 (vehicle AV-042), a United Launch Alliance launch vehicle.  
- Launch site / start point: Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 3 East.  
- COSPAR ID: 2013-072M.  
- Satellite Catalog Number (SCN): 39473.  
- Significant event: rocket launch at Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 3 East on 2013-12-06.

## FAQs
### Q: What is TacSat-6?
A: TacSat-6 is an American communications satellite designed for telecommunications and operated by the Operationally Responsive Space Office.

### Q: When and where was TacSat-6 launched?
A: TacSat-6 was launched on 6 December 2013 (07:14:30 UTC qualifier) from Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 3 East.

### Q: Which rocket carried TacSat-6 to orbit?
A: TacSat-6 was launched aboard an Atlas V 501 launch vehicle (vehicle AV-042), a United Launch Alliance rocket.

### Q: Who built TacSat-6?
A: The satellite was manufactured by the United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command.

## Why It Matters
TacSat-6 represents a U.S. military-operated communications asset placed on orbit to provide telecommunications capabilities. As a communications satellite operated by the Operationally Responsive Space Office and built by the United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command, it fits into broader efforts to field responsive space capabilities and military communications infrastructure. Its launch on 6 December 2013 from Vandenberg on an Atlas V 501 vehicle (AV-042) demonstrates the use of established launch systems to deploy defense-related payloads. Identification details such as COSPAR ID 2013-072M and Satellite Catalog Number 39473 allow it to be tracked and referenced in space object registries. For researchers, planners, and operators, TacSat-6 is a verifiable example of U.S. government investment in on-orbit communications assets and the operational procedures used to launch and catalog such satellites.

## Notable For
- Being an American communications satellite operated by the Operationally Responsive Space Office.  
- Manufacture by the United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command.  
- Launch on 2013-12-06 from Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 3 East on an Atlas V 501 (AV-042).  
- Formal identifiers: COSPAR ID 2013-072M and Satellite Catalog Number 39473.  
- Presence in public repositories: has a Wikimedia Commons category and English-language Wikipedia entry (title: TacSat-6).

## Body
### Overview
- TacSat-6 is classified as a communications satellite.  
- Its country of origin and operation is the United States.

### Identification
- COSPAR ID: 2013-072M.  
- Satellite Catalog Number (SCN): 39473.  
- Wikipedia title: TacSat-6.  
- Commons category: TacSat-6.  
- Wikipedia-language entries listed: commons, de, en, gl.

### Launch details
- Launch date: 2013-12-06.  
- Launch time qualifier: 07:14:30.  
- Launch site (start point): Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 3 East.  
- Significant event recorded: rocket launch at Vandenberg SLC-3E on 2013-12-06.  
- Launch vehicle: Atlas V 501 (United Launch Alliance); vehicle designation AV-042.

### Operator and manufacturer
- Operator: Operationally Responsive Space Office.  
- Manufacturer: United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command.

### Classification and role
- Instance of: communications satellite — an artificial satellite designed for telecommunications.  
- Country: United States.

### Metadata and public records
- Sitelink count (internal metadata): 4.  
- Structured metadata entries reference public registries and encyclopedia records for verification.

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report