Jonathan's Space Report
No. 828 2023 Dec 15 Somerville, MA
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International Space Station
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Expedition 70 continues.
Two Japanese cubesats, BEAK and ClarkSat-1, were deployed from J-SSOD No. 27 on Dec 18.
The Dragon CRS-29 cargo ship undocked from IDA-2/PMA-2 at 2205 UTC Dec 21. It splashed
down off the coast of Florida about 1733 UTC Dec 22, in the Tallahassee recovery
zone near 84.2W 29.3N.
The Canadarm-2 unberthed the Cygnus NG-19 (S.S. Laurel Clark) cargo ship
from the Unity module at about 1000 UTC Dec 22 and released it into
orbit at 1306 UTC. NG-19 will carry out an independent mission until
early January.
Chinese Space Station
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Astronauts Tang H. and Tang S. made a 7.5 hour spacewalk on Dec 21, from about 0600 UTC
to 1335 UTC. Suits A (red) and B (blue) were used, but it's not clear which astronaut
used which suit.
Arktika-M
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Russia's Artika-M No. 2 weather satellite was launched on Dec 16. The satellite is in an elliptical
Molniya orbit with apogee over the Arctic and will monitor meteorological conditions in the
north polar region.
DEAR-1
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The first Dier (marketed as DEAR in English) microgravity satellite from
Ziwei Yutong Keji YG (AZSPACE, Beijing) was launched by Xingye Rongyao's
Shuang Quxian-1 (SQX-1) rocket from Jiuquan on Dec 17. The satellite
consists of a service module and a recoverable capsule, with a mass probably
in the 250-300 kg range; the satellite is also called Liangxi.
This is the third orbital success for SQX-1 in 6 attempts.
Kosmos-2570 et al
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Object D, ejected from the Kosmos-2570 launch on Nov 23, has manuevered,
so is presumably a payload like object C. Russia will likely registered
them with the UN as Kosmos satellites, but until then we just have to
guess; I am calling C Kosmos-2571 and D Kosmos-2573, with the Nov 25
and Dec 21 launches assumed to be Kosmos-2572 and 2574. Very much subject
to correction once there's a new UN registration document from Russia.
Bars-M?
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A Russian Defense Ministry satellite launched on Dec 21 is probably a Bars-M
cartographic satellite. I am guessing it wil be given the cover name Kosmos-2574.
Unknown Russian satellite
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A Russian Defense Ministry small satellite was launched on Dec 27 on a
Soyuz-2-1v to 2240 LTDN sun-sync orbit with an unknown mission. It may
be one of the EO-MKA series with possible imaging payloads, like
Kosmos-2568.
Starlink launches
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Starlink Group 6-34, with 23 satellites, launched Dec 19 from Canaveral.
Starlink Group 6-32, with 23 satellites, launched Dec 23 from Canaveral.
Firefly FLTA0004
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Firefly Space launched the 4th Alpha rocket from Vandenberg's Space
Launch Complex 2-West on Dec 22. The vehicle reached initial parking
orbit, but the second stage failed to restart at apogee and Lockheed
Martin/Denver's 'Tantrum' Electronically Steerable Antenna Technology
Demonstrator satellite was left in a low-perigee elliptical orbit.
In accordance with https://planet4589.org/space/gcat/web/intro/success.html
I am scoring this launch 0.40, and considering it a failure.
SARah-2/3
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SpaceX launched Germany's SARah-2 and SARah-3 military radar imaging
satellites on Dec 24 aboard a Falcon 9 launched from Vandebberg. The two
satellites were built by OHB and are scaled-up versions of the older
SAR-Lupe satellites. Mass around 1800 kg each, but I haven't been able to
find what the size of the satellites is.
Tianmu-1
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Four more Tianmu-1 GNSS-RO meteorology satellites were launched on a Kuaizhou-1A
from Jiuquan on Dec 25 to 0721 LTDN SSO.
A further four Tianmu-1 were launched on another Kuaizhou-1A on Dec 27, to a 1311 LTDN SSO.
CALT launches
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A CZ-11 was launched from the Borun Jiuzhou barge off Yangjiang on Dec 25, placing
three Shiyan-24C technology satellites in 0600 LTDN sun-sync orbit. The fourth
stage lowered its perigee after deploying the satellites.
A CZ-3B/YZ-1 was launched from Xichang on Dec 26. The CZ-3B reached a
203 x 18483 km x 55.0 deg orbit, from which the YZ-1 made two burns to
21532 x 22193 km x 55.0, where two Beidou navigation sats were deployed.
SLIM
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JAXA's SLIM lunar probe entered a 600 x 4000 km polar lunar orbit at 0751 UTC Dec 25.
JAXA has not announced the exact orbital inclination.
Chinese spaceplane
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Six objects are cataloged in orbit associated with the recent Chinese
spaceplane launch. These include object A, the spaceplane itself, object
B, the rocket upper stage, and objects C,D,E and F, four small covers
ejected from the upper stage separation motors. These objects are
characteristic of Chang Zheng 2 series launches and were fully expected.
Recent reports of radio transmissions associated with the debris objects
were erroneous; the transmissions were actually coming from unrelated
Chinese satellites. Hyperventilating news reports of a supposed mystery
associated with the presence of six tracked objects may therefore be ignored.
Table of Recent Orbital Launches
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Date UT Name Launch Vehicle Site Mission INTL. Catalog Perigee Apogee Incl Notes
Dec 1 0925 Progress M-25 Soyuz-2-1A Baykonur LC31 Cargo 184A 264 x 282 x 51.6
Dec 1 1819 Korea Project 425 EO/IR Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Imaging 185A 554 x 570 x 97.6
ION SCV012? Tug
Bane Unknown
GNOMES-4 Comms
ENSO Tech
Spirit Astron 185 508 x 525 x 97.5
EIRSAT-1 Tech
Hayasat-1 Tech
Koyoh Tech
Lilium-1 Tech
Unicorn-2L, 2M, 2N Imaging
ALISIO Imaging
MDQubeSAT-1 Comms
NanoFF-1, 2 Tech
uHETSAT Tech
LOGSATS Comms
Dec 3 0400 Starlink Group 6-31 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 186 285 x 292 x 43.0
Dec 4 0410 MisrSat-2 Chang Zheng 2C Jiuquan Imaging 187A 626 x 642 x 98.0
Xingchi-1 02A Img/Comms 187B
Xingchi-1 02B Img/Comms 187C
Dec 4 0500 S-STEP ADD TV2 Jeju Radar 188A 636 x 653 x 47.0
Dec 4 2333 Xingchi-1A Gushenxing-1 Jiuquan Imaging 189 494 x 511 x 97.5
Jiheng-1 Rem.sens.189 494 x 511 x 97.5
Dec 5 1924 Chuangxin-19 Jielong-3 BRJZ, S China Sea Comms 190A 904 x 921 x 86.5
Dec 7 0507 Starlink Group 6-33 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 191 285 x 292 x 43.0
Dec 8 0803 Starlink Group 7-8 Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Comms 192 285 x 295 x 53.1
Dec 8 2339 Honghu-1 Zhuque-2 Jiuquan Tech 193 432 x 461 x 97.3
Honghu-2 Tech 193
Tianyi-33 Tech 193
Dec 10 0158 Yaogan 39 hao 05 zu 01 xing Chang Zheng 2D Xichang Sigint 194A 490 x 501 x 35.0
Yaogan 39 hao 05 zu 02 xing Sigint 194 490 x 501 x 35.0
Yaogan 39 hao 05 zu 03 xing Sigint 194 490 x 501 x 35.0
Dec 14 1412? CSSHQ 3 Chang Zheng 2F Jiuquan Spaceplane 195A 333 x 347 x 50.0
Dec 15 0405 QPS-SAR-5 Electron Mahia 1B Radar 196A 574 x 583 x 42.0
Dec 15 1341 Yaogan 41 Chang Zheng 5 Wenchang Imaging 197A 176 x 35812 x 19.5
Dec 16 0917 Arktika-M No. 2 Soyuz-2-1b/Fregat Baykonur LC31 Meteo 198A 1369 x 39264 x 63.3
Dec 17 0700 Dier-1-Liangxi Shuang Quxian 1 Jiuquan Micrograv 199A 490 x 505 x 97.4
Dec 17 2324 Hwasong-18 RV Hwasong-18? Pyongyang Missile test U04 -6260? x 6000? x 42?
Dec 18 0835 BEAK ISS, LEO Tech 98067WD 411 x 415 x 51.6
Dec 18 1015 ClarkSat-1 ISS, LEO Tech 98067WE 410 x 417 x 51.6
Dec 19 0400 Starlink Group 6-34 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 200 284 x 291 x 43.0
Dec 21 0848 Kosmos-2574? Soyuz-2-1b Plesetsk Imaging 201A 338 x 498 x 97.6
Dec 22 1732 TANTRUM Alpha Vandenberg SLC2W Tech 202A 216 x 519 x 140.0
Dec 23 0533 Starlink Group 6-32 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 203 284 x 291 x 43.0
Dec 24 1311 SARah-2 Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Radar 204A 500?x500?x 88
SARah-3 Radar 204B 500?x500?x 88
Dec 25 0100 Tianmu 1-11 Kuaizhou-1A Jiuquan Meteo 205A 515 x 530 x 97.4
Tianmu 1-12 Meteo 205B 515 x 530 x 97.4
Tianmu 1-13 Meteo 205C 515 x 530 x 97.4
Tianmu 1-14 Meteo 205D 515 x 530 x 97.4
Dec 25 2239 Shiyan 24C-1 Chang Zheng 111 BRJZ, Yangjiang Tech 206A 542 x 555 x 97.3
Shiyan 24C-2 Tech 206B 541 x 553 x 97.3
Shiyan 24C-3 Tech 206C 540 x 554 x 97.3
Dec 26 0326 Beidou DW57 Chang Zheng 3B/YZ-1 Xichang Nav 207A 21532 x 22193 x 55.0
Beidou DW58 Nav 207B 21520 x 22192 x 55.0
Dec 27 0650 Tianmu 1-19 Kuaizhou-1A Jiuquan Meteo 208A 517 x 531 x 97.4
Tianmu 1-20 Meteo 208B 517 x 531 x 97.4
Tianmu 1-21 Meteo 208C 517 x 531 x 97.4
Tianmu 1-22 Meteo 208D 517 x 531 x 97.4
Dec 27 0703 Kosmos-2575? Soyuz-2-1v Plesetsk Imaging? 209A 348 x 361 x 96.6
Table of Recent Suborbital Launches
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New Shepard flight NS-24 flew a suborbital uncrewed cargo mission with
launch from BlueOrigin W Texas site on Dec 19; apogee 107.1 km and
flight time 10m7s. Used Booster PM4 No. 4 and Crew Capsule 2.0 No. 1 (HG
Wells).
Dec 2 0700 S-520-33 S-520 Uchinoura Tech 304 Pacific
Dec 2 0730 MAIUS-2 VSB-30 Kiruna Micrograv 230? ESRANGE
Dec 6 Bio Capsule Salman Semnan Life Sci 130 Iran
Dec 11 1425? FTG-12 Target IRBM-T1? C-17, Pacific Target 500? Pacific
Dec 11 1430? FTG-12 EKV GBI Vandenberg Interceptor 300? Pacific (intercept)
Dec 19 1642 NS-24 New Shepard West Texas Micrograv 107 West Texas
.-------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| Jonathan McDowell | |
| Somerville MA 02143 | inter : planet4589 at gmail |
| USA | twitter: @planet4589 |
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