Jonathan's Space Report
No. 836 2024 Aug 26 Somerville, MA
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Chandra X-ray Observatory
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Jul 23 was the 25th anniversary of the launch of the Chandra space
telescope aboard STS-93. Chandra continues to operate well in orbit. And
we have just heard that the previously expected funding cuts have been very
significantly reduced, with no staff job losses expected this year. Thanks to all of
you who have expressed support for the mission.
International Space Station
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Expedition 71 continues. Crew are Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, Matthew
Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, Aleksandr Grebyonkin, Tracy
Dyson, Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams.
On Jul 31 the Progress MS-26 freighter fired its engines in a 1.78 m/s
burn to raise the ISS orbit.
On Aug 4 SpaceX launched the Northrop Grumman Cygnus NG-21 cargo craft,
named the S.S. Francis R. 'Dick' Scobee, to low orbit. NG-21 will
deliver cargo including a new solar array IROSA Mod Kit and at least
two cubesats. The initial two rendezvous burns did not occur, but a workaround
plan allowed Cygnus to rendezvous on schedule with ISS. Canadarm-2 grappled
it at 0711 UTC Aug 6, with berthing at Unity nadir at 0933 UTC Aug 6.
No Space Force orbital data was available for Aug 5.
The Progress MS-26 cargo ship undocked on Aug 13 at 0200:32 UTC and reentered
over the Pacific Ocean at 0549 UTC.
Progress MS-28 was launched from Baykonur on Aug 15 carrying 2621 kg of cargo for ISS.
It docked with the Zvezda aft port at about 0553:07 UTC Aug 17.
Starliner remains docked at IDA-2. It will be returned to Earth uncrewed, probably
in September.
Turksat 6A
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The Turksat 6A satellite, launched into a supersync transfer orbit on Jul 8, reached GEO
at 50.0E by Jul 21.
Starlink launches
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Starlink Group 10-9 (23 sats) was launched from Kennedy on Jul 27.
Starlink Group 10-4 (23 sats) was launched from Canaveral on Jul 28.
Starlink Group 9-4 (21 sats) was launched from Vandenberg on Jul 28.
Starlink Group 10-6 (23 sats) was launched from Kennedy on Aug 2.
Starlink Group 11-1 (23 sats) was launched from Vandenberg on Aug 4.
Starlink Group 8-3 (21 sats) was launched from Canaveral on Aug 10.
Starlink Group 10-5 (22 sats) was launched from Caneveral on Aug 20.
ULA Atlas V
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Atlas V model 551 flight AV-101 was launched from Canaveral on Jul 30 to geostationary
orbit with a trio of unidentified US Space Force payloads.
CALT launches
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CALT launched a CZ-3B from Xichang on Aug 1 to geotransfer orbit, carrying the second
`high orbit internet satellite', Hulianwang gaogui weixing 02 xing. As of Aug 20
the satellite was on station at 153.1E.
CALT launched a CZ-7A from Xichang on Aug 22 to geotransfer orbit, carrying the Zhongxing-4A
communications satellite, probably for military communications.
SAST launches
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SAST launched a CZ-6A from Taiyuan on Aug 6 with 18 `imitation Starlink'
flat-panel-bus communications satellites, each with a mass of 300 kg
(like the V1.0 Starlinks) for the G60 Qianfan Xingzuo constellation. The
batch was called Qianfan Jigui 01 zu (Qianfan Polar Orbit Group 01). The
satellites were built by Shanghai Gesi Information Tech. Co. Ltd for
Shanghai Yuanxin Weixing Keji YG (aka Shanghai Spacecom Satellite
Technology Ltd). The satellites were placed in an 800 x 800 km x 89.0
deg orbit. According to reports from Slingshot Aerospace, LEOLabs and US
Space Force, hundreds of debris objects have been detected from a
breakup, probably of the upper stage. 100 objects have been cataloged so far
by Space Force.
SAST launched a CZ-4B from Xichang on Aug 16 with 9 Yaogan-43 Group 1 satellites.
It is possible they are a part of a military communications constellation.
Rocket Lab launches
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Synspective's Strix-4 X-band radar satellite was launched on Aug 2 by
Rocket Lab Electron from New Zealand.
Capella Space's Capella 13 (Acadia 3) X-band radar satellite was
launched on Aug 11 by Rocket Lab Electron from New Zealand.
ASBM
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On Aug 12 SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg with the Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission.
The two ASBM satellites were built by Northrop Grumman for Space Norway subsidiary HEOSAT.
The satellites carry the Viasat GX-10 Ka-band commercial payloads, X-band payloads for
the Norwegian military, and the EPS-R EHF paylaods for the US Space Force.
The satellites will operate in Molniya orbit.
Maxar-2
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On Aug 15 SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 with two Maxar Worldview Legion
imaging satellites, Legion 3 and 4. The first satellite was deployed in
a 446 x 445 km x 45.0 deg orbit, and the second in a 699 x 705 km x 45.0
deg orbit. The Falcon 9 stage 2 was deorbited with impact in the Indian
Ocean around 1534 UTC.
SSLV-D3
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ISRO launched the third SSLV test flight on Aug 16, successfully placing the 175 kg EOS-07 imaging
satellite in orbit, along with a small test satellite from startup Space Rickshaw. The third
and fourth stages of the rocket also remain in orbit.
Transporter 11
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SpaceX launched the Transporter 11 rideshare mission on a Falcon 9 on Aug 16 to 1038 LTDN SSO.
The mission deployed satellites in two groups, in a 505 x 515 km orbit and in a 590 x 595 km orbit.
Payloads orbited by Transporter 11 include:
Educational and student satellites
- Gaindesat (Senegal); ORESAT05 (Portland State, Oregon); UM5Sat-Ribat and UM5Sat-EOSat (Univ. Mohammed V, Morocco)
Tech Test sats from startups
- Rock and Lopen (Array Labs, Calif.); Satoro-T2 (Satoro Space, Taiwan)
Other tech test satellites
- Waratah Seed and CUAVA (Sydney), PhiSat-2 (ESA/OpenCosmos); Ernst (Fraunhofer EMI, Germany)
- PTD-4 and PTD-R (NASA-Ames)
Proximity operation test satellites
- Iperdrone.0 (ASI, Italy); TROOP-F2 (NearSpaceLaunch, Indiana)
Imaging satellites, constellations
- Flock 4be-1 to 36 (Planet, Calif.); Newsat 48 to 50 (Satellogic, Uruguay and USA)
Imaging satellites, national
- Tyche (SSTL/UK MoD); Hypso-2 (NTNU/Norway)
Imaging satellites, test sats from startups
- EagleEye (Creotech, Poland); Deimos (Aethero Space, North Dakota); Hyperfield-1 (Kuva Space, Finland)
- YAM-7/VanZyl (Loft Orbital/Hydrosat);LUR-1 (AVS, Spain); WREN (C3S, Hungary); TORO (Pyras/TASA, Taiwan);
- Lemu Nge (Lemu Earth, Chile)
Radar satellites
- ICEYE X30 (UAE/Iceye); ICEYE X39, X40, X43 (Iceye, Finland); Capella 15 (Capella Space, Calif.)
- Umbra 09/10 (Umbra Labs, Calif.); QPS-SAR-8 (iQPS, Japan)
Remote sensing/Climate
- Tanager 1 (Planet/CarbonMapper); Lemur-2 Stella, Lemur-2 Marshiyam (Spire)
Weather satellites
- AWS (ESA); Tomorrow-S1 and S2 (tomorrow.io, Mass.); GNOMES-5 (Planetiq, Maryland)
IoT data relay comms satellites
- Connecta T4.1 to T4.4 (Plan S, Turkey); Sateliot-1 to 4 (Sateliot, Spain); Pico-1B1 1 to 9 (Apogeo, Italy)
- Kanyini (SCRC/Myriota); Lemur-2/Hubble-3 (Hubble Networks); CAKRA-1 (Indonesia); Nightjar (TASA, Taiwan)
Laser comm satellites
- QUBE (ZfT, Germany)
RF monitoring satellites
- BRO-14 and 15 (Unseen Labs, France); Hawk 10A, 10B, 10C (Hawkeye360, Virginia)
Tugs
- ION SCV-012 (D-Orbit, Italy)
Unknown
- GNA-3 (Sweden? Possibly military-owned)
Table of Recent Orbital Launches
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Date UT Name Launch Vehicle Site Mission INTL. Catalog Perigee Apogee Incl Notes
Jul 8 2330 Turksat 6A Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 127A 384 x 69600 x 24.1
Jul 9 1900 Ariane L6001 Dummy Payload Ariane 6 Kourou ELA4 Tech 128 580 x 580 x 62.0
OOVCube Tech 128 580 x 580 x 62.0
Curium Tech 128 580 x 580 x 62.0
Robusta-3A Tech 128 580 x 580 x 62.0
3Cat-4 Tech 128 580 x 580 x 62.0
GRBBeta Ast 128 580 x 580 x 62.0
ISTSat-1 Tech 128 580 x 580 x 62.0
Replicator Tech 128 580 x 580 x 62.0
Jul 10 2341 Yunyao-1 15 Shuang Quxian 1 Jiuquan Weather F03 -3900? x 500? x 97
Yunyao-1 16 Weather F03
Yunyao-1 17 Weather F03
Jul 12 0235 Starlink Group 9-3 Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Comms 129 138? x 250? x 53.2
Jul 19 0303 Gao Fen 11-05 Chang Zheng 4B Taiyuan Imaging 130A 244 x 697 x 97.5
Jul 27 0545 Starlink Group 10-9 Falcon 9 Kennedy LC39A Comms 131 265 x 275 x 53.2
Jul 28 0509 Starlink Group 10-4 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 132 271 x 281 x 53.2
Jul 28 0922 Starlink Group 9-4 Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Comms 133 267 x 277 x 53.2
Jul 30 1045 USA 396 Atlas V 551 Canaveral LC41 Unk 134A 35800? x 36100? x 0?
USA 397 Unk 134B 35800? x 36100? x 0?
USA 398 Unk 134C 35800? x 36100? x 0?
Aug 1 1314 Hulianwang gaogui 02 Chang Zheng 3B Xichang LC2 Comms 135A 216 x 35786 x 26.7
Aug 2 0501 Starlink Group 10-6 Falcon 9 Kennedy LC39A Comms 136 273 x 284 x 53.2
Aug 2 1639 Strix-4 Electron Mahia LC1B Radar 137A 542 x 550 x 43.0
Aug 4 0742 Starlink Group 11-1 Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Comms 138 267 x 279 x 53.2
Aug 4 1502 Cygnus NG-21 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Cargo 139A 239 x 254 x 51.6
Aug 6 0642 Qianfan Jigui 01 zu Chang Zheng 6A Taiyuan Comms 140 792 x 813 x 89.0
Aug 10 1250 Starlink Group 8-3 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 141 284 x 297 x 53.2
Aug 11 1318 Capella 13 Electron Mahia LC1B Radar 142A 607 x 620 x 53.0
Aug 12 0202 ASBM-1 Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Comms 143A 345 x 12667 x 62.4
ASBM-2 Comms 143B 345 x 12663 x 62.3
Aug 12 1037 Starlink Group 10-7 Falcon 9 Kennedy LC39A Comms 144 267 x 277 x 53.2
Aug 15 0320 Progress MS-28 Soyuz-2-1A Baykonur LC31 Cargo 145A
Aug 15 1300 Worldview Legion 3 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Imaging 146A 446 x 455 x 45.0
Worldview Legion 4 Imaging 146B 699 x 705 x 45.5
Aug 16 0347 EOS-07 SSLV Satish Dhawan FLP Imaging 147A 463 x 475 x 37.4
SR0-DemoSat Tech 147B 452 x 470 x 37.4
Aug 16 0735 Yaogan 43-01-01 Chang Zheng 4B Xichang Comms? 148A 500 x 500 x 35.0
Yaogan 43-01-02 Comms? 148B 500 x 500 x 35.0
Yaogan 43-01-03 Comms? 148C 500 x 500 x 35.0
Yaogan 43-01-04 Comms? 148D 500 x 500 x 35.0
Yaogan 43-01-05 Comms? 148E 500 x 500 x 35.0
Yaogan 43-01-06 Comms? 148F 500 x 500 x 35.0
Yaogan 43-01-07 Comms? 148G 500 x 500 x 35.0
Yaogan 43-01-08 Comms? 148H 500 x 500 x 35.0
Yaogan 43-01-09 Comms? 148J 500 x 500 x 35.0
Aug 16 1856 Transporter-11 Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Rideshare 149 590 x 595 x 97.8
Aug 20 1320 Starlink Group 10-5 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 150 284 x 297 x 53.2
Aug 22 1225 ZX-4A Chang Zheng 7A Xichang Comms 151A 220 x 35790 x 14.6
Table of Recent Suborbital Launches
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Congratulations to my friend Dr. Amy Winebarger at NASA-MSFC on the successful launch of the MAGIXS
suborbital solar physics X-ray telescope on Jul 16.
Date UT Payload Rocket Site Mission Apogee Target
May 25? LRHW AUR CHGB Booster Kauai Test 200? Kwajalein
Jun 12 HTB-1 T.T. Oriole Wallops I. Hypersonic 300? Atlantic Ocean
Jun 18 0701 Mk 21A RV Minotaur I Vandenberg Test 1000? Pacific
Jun 20 1030 RockOn Terrier Imp. Ori. Wallops I. Education 114 Atlantic Ocean
Jun 25 2030 MIRV test Hwasong-16Na Chongdong Test 100 Sea of Japan
Jun 30 2005 RV Hwasong-11Da-4.5 Jangyon Test 100? Sea of Japan
Jun 30 2015 RV Hwasong-11Da? Jangyon Test 100? Sea of Japan
Jul 3 1109 Test ILR-33 Bursztyn 2K Andoya Test 101 Norwegian Sea
Jul 16 1901 MAGIXS 2 Black Brant 9 White Sands Solar X 347 White Sands
Jul 22 0130 ATV-D03? RH-560? Satish Dhawan Test 100? Bay of Bengal
Aug 13 1000 RockSat-X Terrer Imp. Mal. Wallops I. Education 164 Atlantic Ocean
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| Jonathan McDowell | |
| Somerville MA 02143 | inter : planet4589 at gmail |
| USA | twitter: @planet4589 |
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