Jonathan's Space Report
No. 783 draft 2020 Sep 12 Somerville, MA
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International Space Station
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Expedition 63 continues. Progress MS-14 made an orbit adjustment on Sep 10 at 2032 UTC.
SAOCOM 1B
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SpaceX launched Argentina's second SAOCOM radar satellite, SAOCOM-1B, on Aug 30. The Falcon 9 first
stage returned for a landing at Canaveral's Landing Zone 1. The second stage maneuvered south-westwards
to complete the first polar orbit insertion from Florida since 1969.
The second stage then deployed two small satellites, the GNOMES-1 radio-occultation meteorology satellite
for PlanetIQ, and Tyvak-0172 for Tyvak. The satellites are in a 600 km SSO with descending node at 17:52 local time.
Sequoia
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Rocket Lab's Electron rocket returned to flight on Aug 31 and orbited Capella Space's Sequoia radar
satellite. The kick stage was then revealed to be RocketLab's first Photon satellite, dubbed 'First Light'.
The mass of First Light and its specific experiment/instrument payload have not been released.
SSMS
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Arianespace's Vega returned to flight on Sep 3 with the first flight of its Small Spacecraft Mission
Service, carrying 65 small satellites.
Vega released 7 microsatellites in a 515 km orbit:
Athena, for Facebook subsidiary Point View, a 150 kg Maxar SSL-100 satellite for E-band comms tests
Iris (GHGSat-C1) for GHGSat, a 15 kg UTIAS-SFL satellite to measure greenhouse gases
NEMO-HD, a 65 kg Earth imaging sat for Space-SI of Slovenia, built by UTIAS-SFL.
UPMSat-2, a 45 kg test satellite for the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid.
ESAIL, a 110 kg AIS (ship tracking) satellite for exactEarth, built by LuxSpace.
Hypatia, a 44 kg imaging satellite for the Uruguayan/Argentine company Satellogic
ION-SVC LUCAS, a maneuverable cubesat deployer from Italy's D-Orbit.
It then moved to a 530 km orbit to deploy a series of cubesats:
FSSCAT A and B, two 6U satellites for the Universidad Politecnica de Catalunya, Barcelona with microwave
and multispectral imaging payloads.
OSM-1 Cicero, a 6U GNSS-RO satellite for OSM (Orbital Solutions Monaco) in collaboration with Tyvak.
NAPA 1, a 6U 40-meter-res imaging satellite for the Royal Thai Air Force, built by ISIS-BV/Delft.
TARS, a 6U satellite built by AAC Microtec/Clyde for Kepler Comms (Toronto)'s IoT data relay system.
Tyvak-0171, a 6U satellite built by Tyvak for an unknown customer
Dove 227c, 2256, 2412, 2274, 240f, 225b, 227b, 2416, 2419, 2254, 2424, 2307, 241c, 227a, 3U imaging satellites for Planet.
also called Flock-1v 1 to 14.
Lemur-2 (8 unnamed 3U satellites) carrying AIS/ADS-B/GNSS-RO payloads for Spire
Dido 3, a 3U satellite built by ISIS-BV for the Israeli/Swiss SpacePharma microgravity processing company
PICASSO, a 3U satellite from the Institut d'Aeronomie Spatiale de Belgique (Brussels) for ionospheric and ozone study
SIMBA, a 3U satellite from Koninklijk Meteorologisch Instituut (Brussels) to study the Earth's radiation balance
TRISAT, a 3U satellite from the University of Maribor in Slovenia to test an infrared imager.
AMICAL-Sat, a 2U satellite from CSUG/Uni. Grenoble Alpes in France, for auroral imaging
Hamarik (TTU100), a 1U satellite for Tallinn University of Tech, Estonia.
SpaceBee 10 to 21, a dozen 0.25U communications satellites for the US company Swarm Technologies.
The ION-SVC LUCAS satellite contains 12 additional Flock-1v Dove satellites which will be ejected
later: Dove 2402, 2403, 2426, 2413, 2414, 2406, 2408, 240a, 2401, 2405, 240c, 2407
Starlink
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The 12th Starlink launch (V1.0-L11) on Sep 3 carried 60 more Starlinks into orbit.
Chinese Spaceplane
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On Sep 4 at 0730 UTC (plus or minus one minute, based on analysis of
TLEs) China's CALT launched a Chang Zheng 2F (probably S/N T3) carrying
an experimental spacecraft into a 332 x 348 km x 50.2 deg orbit. The
spacecraft was referred to as Chongfu Shiyong Shiyan Hangtian Qi
which translates as Reusable Test Spacecraft.
Xinhua reported early on Sep 6 that the spacecraft had landed successfully.
Likely landing time is around 0200 UTC with a candidate landing site being
runway 05 at an air base at 89.27E 40.78N near Lop Nor.
Sometime around 2230 Sep 5, a few orbits before the landing, a new
object separated from the spacecraft and was cataloged as 2020-063G. It
may be a service module or solar array jettisoned prior to the deorbit
burn.
Gao Fen 11-02
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On Sep 7 China's SAST launched a CZ-4B carrying the CAST-built Gao Fen 11 hao 02 xing
(GF-11-02) imaging satellite to an elliptical sun-synchronous orbit. The orbit is similar
to the initial orbit of GF-11-01, which was launched in 2018 and changed to a circular
500 km orbit 9 months after launch. Igor Lissov has suggested that the GF-11 satellites
have the internal military name Jianbing-16.
Astra Rocket 3.1
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Launch startup company Astra made their first orbital attempt on Sep 12 from Pacific Spaceport
Complex Alaska on Kodiak Island. Target orbit was 340 x 340 km x 86.3 deg. Payload was
test instrumentation only. During first stage flight, guidance oscillations caused the rocket
to go off course, and the engines were commanded to shut down. The rocket tumbled back to Earth
and exploded on impact with the ground.
Jilin-1 Gaofen 02C
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An imaging satellite for the Changuang Sat Tech company, Jilin-1 Gaofen 2C, was lost in
the launch failure of an EXPACE Kuaizhou-1A rocket from Jiuquan on Sep 12. Details of
the failure are unknown.
Table of Recent Orbital Launches
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Date UT Name Launch Vehicle Site Mission INTL. Catalog Perigee Apogee Incl Notes
Aug 6 0401 Gao Fen 9-04 ) Chang Zheng 2D Jiuquan Imaging 54A S45025 486 x 506 x 97.5
Zhongli yu Daqi Kexue W.) Science 54B S45026 483 x 505 x 97.5
Aug 7 0512 Starlink 1514 )
Starlink 1515 )
Starlink 1522-1527)
Starlink 1529 )
Starlink 1530 ) S46027
Starlink 1532-1536) Falcon 9 Kennedy LC39A Comms 55A-BJ to 386 x 403 x 53.0
Starlink 1538-1544) S46083
Starlink 1548 )
Starlink 1549 )
Starlink 1551 )
Starlink 1552 )
Starlink 1554-1574)
Starlink 1576-1584)
Starlink 1591 )
Global-7 ) Imaging 55BP S46088 385 x 402 x 53.0
Global-8 ) Imaging 55BQ S46089 385 x 402 x 53.0
Aug 15 2204 Galaxy 30 ) Ariane 5ECA Kourou ELA3 Comms 56C S46114 254 x 35741 x 6.0
MEV-2 ) Servicing56B S46113 268 x 35756 x 6.0
BSAT-4b ) Comms 56A S46112 261 x 35783 x 6.0
Aug 18 1431 Starlink 1545 ) Falcon 9 Canaveral SLC40 Comms 57A-BK S46117 290 x 356 x 53.0
Starlink 1585-1590 ) to
Starlink 1592-1616 ) S46174
Starlink 1618-1643 )
Starlink 1667 )
Skysat C17 ) Imaging 57BQ S46179 250 x 359 x 53.0
Skysat C18 ) Imaging 57BR S46180 250 x 359 x 53.0
Skysat C19 ) Imaging 57BS S46235 236 x 353 x 53.0
Aug 23 0227 Gao Fen 9-05 ) Chang Zheng 2D Jiuquan Imaging 58A? S46232 485 x 505 x 97.5
Tiantuo 5 ) Comms 58B? S46233 485 x 505 x 97.5
DGSW ) Tech 58C? S46234 485 x 505 x 97.5
Aug 30 2318 SAOCOM-1B ) Falcon 9 Canaveral SLC40 Radar 59A S46265 600 x 609 x 97.9
GNOMES-1 ) Met-RO 59B? S46266 600 x 609 x 97.9
Tyvak-0172 ) Tech? 59C? S46267 600 x 609 x 97.9
Aug 31 0305 Sequoia ) Electron Mahia LC1 Radar 60B S46269 528 x 546 x 45.1
First Light ) Tech 60A S46268 530 x 546 x 45.1
Sep 3 0151 SSMS ) Vega CSG ZLV Tech 61 515 x 525 x 97.5
Athena ) Comms 61 515 x 525 x 97.5
Iris ) Rem.Sen. 61D S46278 515 x 525 x 97.5
NEMO-HD ) Imaging 61 515 x 525 x 97.5
UMPSat-2 ) Tech 61 515 x 525 x 97.5
ESAIL ) AIS 61B S46273 515 x 525 x 97.5
ION-SVC Lucas ) Tech 61C S46274 515 x 525 x 97.5
Hypatia ) Imaging 61A S46272 515 x 525 x 97.5
Lemur-2 Unnamed ) AIS/Met-RO 61 533 x 535 x 97.5
Lemur-2 Unnamed ) AIS/Met-RO 61 533 x 535 x 97.5
Lemur-2 Unnamed ) AIS/Met-RO 61 533 x 535 x 97.5
Lemur-2 Unnamed ) AIS/Met-RO 61 533 x 535 x 97.5
Lemur-2 Unnamed ) AIS/Met-RO 61 533 x 535 x 97.5
Lemur-2 Unnamed ) AIS/Met-RO 61 533 x 535 x 97.5
Lemur-2 Unnamed ) AIS/Met-RO 61 533 x 535 x 97.5
Lemur-2 Unnamed ) AIS/Met-RO 61 533 x 535 x 97.5
FSSCAT A ) Imaging 61 533 x 535 x 97.5
FSSCAT B ) Imaging 61 533 x 535 x 97.5
OSM-1 CICERO ) Met-RO 61 533 x 535 x 97.5
NAPA 1 ) Imaging 61 533 x 535 x 97.5
TARS ) Comms 61 533 x 535 x 97.5
Tyvak-0171 ) Unknown 61 533 x 535 x 97.5
Dido 3 ) Micrograv 61 533 x 535 x 97.5
PICASSO ) Science 61 533 x 535 x 97.5
SIMBA ) Science 61 533 x 535 x 97.5
TRISAT ) Imaging 61 533 x 535 x 97.5
AMICal-Sat ) Imaging 61 533 x 535 x 97.5
Hamarik ) Tech 61 533 x 535 x 97.5
SpaceBEE 10 to 21 ) Comms 61 533 x 535 x 97.5
Flock 4v-1 to 4v-14 ) Imaging 61 533 x 535 x 97.5
Flock 4v-15 to 4v-26 ) Imaging Aboard ION-SVC
Sep 3 1246 Starlink 1546 ) Falcon 9 Kennedy LC39A Comms 62A-BM S46325 242 x 334 x 53.0
Starlink 1547 ) to
Starlink 1550 ) S46385
Starlink 1553 )
Starlink 1575 )
Starlink 1617 )
Starlink 1646 )
Starlink 1651 )
Starlink 1653 )
Starlink 1654 )
Starlink 1656-1658 )
Starlink 1661 )
Starlink 1662 )
Starlink 1665 )
Starlink 1666 )
Starlink 1670 )
Starlink 1673 )
Starlink 1686 )
Starlink 1688-1691 )
Starlink 1695 )
Starlink 1707-1711 )
Starlink 1713 )
Starlink 1719 )
Starlink 1721-1727 )
Starlink 1734 )
Starlink 1738-1739 )
Starlink 1742 )
Starlink 1745 )
Starlink 1750-1752 )
Starlink 1756-1760 )
Starlink 1762-1765 )
Starlink 1767-1771 )
Sep 4 0730? Chongfu Shiyong Sh. Han.Qi Chang Zheng 2F Jiuquan Spaceship 63A S46389 331 x 348 x 52.0
Sep 7 0557 Gao Fen 11-02 Chang Zheng 4B Taiyuan Imaging 64A S46396 247 x 694 x 97.3
Sep 12 0320? Astra Test Payload Astra Rocket 3.1 Kodiak LP3B Test F07 F01569 -6378?x 2? x 86
Sep 12 0502 Jilin-1 Gaofen 02C Kuaizhou 1A Jiuquan Imaging F08 F01572 -5000?x 100??x 97.5
Table of Recent Suborbital Launches
-----------------------------------
Date UT Payload/Flt Name Launch Vehicle Site Mission Apogee/km Target
Aug 4 0721 Mk 12 RV) Minuteman 3 Vandenberg LF10 Op. Test 1300? Kwajalein BOA
Mk 12 RV)
Mk 12 RV)
Aug 12 Sparrow Target Silver Sparrow? F-15, Med. Sea Target 100? Israel (intercepted)
Aug 25 DF-26 RV DF-26 Da Qaidam Test 500? S China Sea
Aug 25 DF-21 RV DF-21D? Ningbo Test 500? S China Sea
Sep 2 0703 GT233GM RV Minuteman 3 Vandenberg LF04 Op. Test 1300? Kwajalein BOA
Sep 8 1800 DUST-2 Black Brant IX White Sands Physics 346 White Sands
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| Jonathan McDowell | |
| Somerville MA 02143 | inter : planet4589 at gmail |
| USA | twitter: @planet4589 |
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