# Transit 5B-5
**Wikidata**: [Q9361192](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9361192)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/transit-5b-5

## Summary
Transit 5B-5 is a geodetic satellite launched on 13 December 1964. It was deployed from Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 2 atop a Thor–Ablestar launch vehicle and is identified by COSPAR ID 1964-083D and SCN 00965.

## Key Facts
- Transit 5B-5 is an artificial geodetic satellite (instance_of: geodetic satellite).  
- COSPAR identifier: 1964-083D.  
- Spacecraft catalogue number (SCN): 00965.  
- Launch date: 13 December 1964.  
- Launch site: Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 2.  
- Launch vehicle: Thor–Ablestar.  
- Significant event recorded: rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 2 on 13 December 1964.  
- Commons category: Transit O-2.  
- Wikipedia language links recorded: commons and Polish (pl).

## FAQs
### Q: What is Transit 5B-5?
A: Transit 5B-5 is a geodetic satellite—an artificial satellite used for research and applications in geodesy—launched on 13 December 1964.

### Q: When and where was Transit 5B-5 launched?
A: Transit 5B-5 was launched on 13 December 1964 from Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 2.

### Q: Which rocket launched Transit 5B-5?
A: Transit 5B-5 was launched on a Thor–Ablestar launch vehicle.

### Q: How is Transit 5B-5 identified in catalogs?
A: It is recorded with COSPAR ID 1964-083D and spacecraft catalogue number (SCN) 00965.

## Why It Matters
As a geodetic satellite, Transit 5B-5 belonged to the class of spacecraft used to advance geodesy—the science of measuring Earth’s shape, gravitational field, and positional reference frames. Satellites of this class provided space-based observations that improved the accuracy of terrestrial mapping, navigation, and the determination of geodetic reference points. Launched in December 1964, Transit 5B-5 was part of the mid-20th century expansion of spaceborne tools for Earth science and surveying. Its launch from Vandenberg on a Thor–Ablestar reflects the operational patterns of expendable launch systems used for scientific payloads in that era. Even without detailed public payload results in this summary, Transit 5B-5’s classification and documented identifiers (COSPAR ID 1964-083D, SCN 00965) make it a traceable element in historical records of geodetic satellite programs, useful for researchers cataloging space missions and for anyone studying the development of satellite-based geodesy.

## Notable For
- Being a documented geodetic satellite with COSPAR ID 1964-083D.  
- Launch on 13 December 1964 from Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 2.  
- Use of the Thor–Ablestar expendable launch system.  
- Registered spacecraft catalogue number SCN 00965.  
- Categorization on Commons under Transit O-2.

## Body

### Identification and Classification
- Name: Transit 5B-5.  
- Instance of: geodetic satellite (artificial satellite used in research and application of geodesy).  
- COSPAR ID: 1964-083D.  
- Spacecraft Catalogue Number (SCN): 00965.  
- Commons category listed as: Transit O-2.  
- Wikipedia language links recorded: commons, Polish (pl).

### Launch Details
- Launch date: 13 December 1964.  
- Launch site (start_point): Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 2.  
- Launch vehicle: Thor–Ablestar (American expendable launch system).  
- Significant event entry: rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 2 on 13 December 1964.

### Contextual Notes
- Transit 5B-5 is classified within the category of geodetic satellites, which are used for geodesy.  
- The Thor–Ablestar launch vehicle is noted as the expendable system used for the mission.  
- The available public record data points for Transit 5B-5 include COSPAR ID, SCN, launch date, launch site, and launch vehicle, and it is indexed under Commons as Transit O-2.

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report