[JSR] Jonathan's Space Report, No. 793
Jonathan McDowell
jcm at planet4589.com
Fri Jun 4 14:20:49 EDT 2021
Jonathan's Space Report
No. 793 2021 Jun 4 Somerville, MA
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International Space Station
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On May 4 and 5 the Dextre robot arm was used to move an old NiH battery pack
(possibly S/N 0072) and its FRAM adapter from External Stowage Platform
3 Site 6 to the external attach area on the Cygnus cargo ship S.S.
Katherine Johnson. The battery will be destroyed with the ship when it
is eventually deorbited over the Pacific.
On Jun 2 astronauts Novitskiy and Dubrov made a spacewalk from the Poisk module
in spacesuits Orlan MKS-5 and MKS-4 respectively. During the spacewalk the Pirs
module was decommissioned and prepared for future removal from ISS.
The Poisk airlock was depressurized at 0525 UTC and the hatch was opened from 0553 to 0555 UTC.
The astronauts installed a commemorative kit for the Energiya company on a handrail
outside Poisk. They then took a pressurized container from Poisk to Zarya. The container
had the new SP RRZh flow regulator inside; the regulator was swapped with the failed one
on Zarya, which was sealed inside the container. The container was stowed on Poisk and
then later, at 1056 UTC, jettisoned into space. It was cataloged
with international designation 1998-067SK; I believe it has a mass of about 50 kg.
The GStM-2 crane was moved from Pirs to Poisk. The Kurs AFU cabling was disconnected
from Poisk and reconnected to Zarya. A `gap spanner' ladder between Pirs and Zvezda was
removed (and taken inside?). Finally, two exposure experiment packages, in the 'Vinoslivost' and
'Test' series, were installed outside the Poisk airlock.
The Poisk airlock hatch was closed at 1312 UTC.
I'm not sure when the new flow regulator and container were launched, but I'm guessing it
was on Progress MS-15.
On Jun 3 SpaceX launched cargo ship Dragon CRS-22 from Kennedy Space Center. The B1067 first
stage, on its first flight, landed on the droneship OCISLY. The second stage was deorbited
south of Australia. CRS-22 carries the 2B/4B IROSA solar array package in its unpressurized
trunk section. The array package has a mass of 1380 kg.
A second object was cataloged from the CRS-22 launch in a 209 x 545 km orbit; it appears
to be a small debris object of unknown origin, maybe something minor that came off stage 2 during
the deorbit burn. Sources have confirmed that the Falcon 9 second stage deorbit was
successful.
Tianwen-1
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The Chinese Tianwen-1 probe has made the country's first successful landing on Mars, on May 14.
The Tianwen-1 Orbiter made an orbit adjust at 1717 UTC to lower its orbit around
Mars from 277 x 57761 km x 88.7 deg to -37 x 57040 km x 89.2 deg. At about 2000 UTC
the Tianwen-1 Lander separated from the Orbiter; and at 2054 UTC the Orbiter then raised
periares again to return to a safe 431 x 57591 km x 89.2 deg orbit. The Lander then descended, beginning
atmospheric entry at 2254 UTC at an altitude of 125 km, a velocity of 4.8 km/s and
an entry angle of -11.2 degrees. At about 2259 UTC the main parachute deployed, and then the
heat shield was jettisoned. The backshell and parachute separated about a minute later
and rocket-powered descent began, leading to a landing at 109.7E 25.1N on Utopia Planitia at 2301 UTC.
The signal from the landing was received on Earth at 2318 UTC after a light travel time of 17m 44s.
On May 17 at about 0025 UTC the orbiter lowered its apogee, reaching a 259 x 12572 km x 89.2 deg orbit
to begin its new role as a communications relay.
The above analysis uses the excellent work of Daniel Estevez and the AMSAT-DL team, as well as data
from Scott Tilley.
Starlink and OneWeb
--------------------
52 Starlink satellites were launched on May 9 to a higher than usual deployment orbit.
Two rideshare satellites were carried: Capella 6, a radar imaging satellite for Capella Space,
and Tyvak-0130, a 6U cubesat for Tyvak and Lawrence Livermore Lab to test new astronomical
telescope optics.
60 Starlink satellites were launched on May 26 to the usual 300 km, 53 degree orbit.
36 OneWeb satellites were launched on May 28 on a Soyuz from Vostochniy.
Electron flight 20
------------------
Two BlackSky Global imaging satellites were lost in the failure of RocketLab's Electron mission 20.
Shortly after second stage ignition the stage shut down, tumbled out of control and the vehicle
did not reach orbit. Apogee was 136 km.
SBIRS
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The SBIRS GEO-5 satellite was launched on May 18. SBIRS GEO-5 uses an infrared telescope to detect
missile launches. Two 12U cubesats for the Air Force Academy were also carried and released
to a 180 x 4520 km x 26.2 deg orbit. The Centaur then restarted to put SBIRS in
an 897 x 35744 km x 21.2 deg geotransfer orbit. By Jun 1
SBIRS GEO-5 had raised its orbit to 25960 x 35734 km x 9.1 deg.
HY-2D
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On May 19 China's SAST launched a Chang Zheng 4B with the HY-2D (Hai Yang 2D) oceanographic
satellite.
Tianzhou-2
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China's CALT launched a CZ-7 from Wenchang on May 29 carrying the
Tianzhou-2 cargo ship. Tianzhou-2 made a rapid rendezvous with Tianhe
and docked with it at 2101 UTC, 8 hr 6 min after launch. The CZ-7 second
stage, with a mass around 6 tonnes, was left in a 196 x 321 km x 41.5
deg orbit.
FY4-02
------
The Fengyun 4 satellite 02 (also called FY4B) meteorological satellite was launched to
geotransfer orbit on Jun 2.
ION-SVC
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The D-Orbit ION-SVC PULSE spacecraft released its final passengers, twelve 0.25U SpaceBEEs for Swarm
Technologies, on May 11.
Table of Recent Orbital Launches
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Date UT Name Launch Vehicle Site Mission INTL. Catalog Perigee Apogee Incl Notes
May 4 1901 Starlink 1904 Falcon 9 Kennedy LC39A Comms 38A
Starlink 2499
Starlink 2505
Starlink 2526
Starlink 2560-2561
Starlink 2563
Starlink 2568
Starlink 2570-2576
Starlink 2578
Starlink 2581
Starlink 2585-2596
Starlink 2598-2614
Starlink 2521-2624
Starlink 2626
Starlink 2628
Starlink 2630-2631
Starlink 2635-2637
Starlink 2641
Starlink 2643
Starlink 2674
May 6 1811 Yaogan 30 hao 08 zu 01 xing ) Chang Zheng 2C Xichang Sigint? 39A S48423 592 x 602 x 35.0
Yaogan 30 hao 08 zu 02 xing ) Sigint? 39B S48424 592 x 602 x 35.0
Yaogan 30 hao 08 zu 03 xing ) Sigint? 39C S48425 592 x 602 x 35.0
Tianqi 12 ) Comms 39D S48426 589 x 598 x 35.0
May 9 0642 Starlink 2247 Falcon 9 Canaveral SLC40 Com 40A-BM 257 x 282 x 53.0
Starlink 2269
Starlink 2461
Starlink 2494
Starlink 2496-2497
Starlink 2500
Starlink 2508
Starlink 2525
Starlink 2529
Starlink 2531
Starlink 2579
Starlink 2582-2583
Starlink 2619-2620
Starlink 2632-2634
Starlink 2638-2640
Starlink 2642
Starlink 2644-2645
Starlink 2652
Starlink 2654-2655
Starlink 2658-2661
Starlink 2663
Starlink 2675
Starlink 2680-2687
Starlink 2689-2690
Starlink 2692-2693
Starlink 2696-2700
Starlink 2702-2703
Starlink 2706
Starlink 2722-2723
Starlink 2728-2729
Starlink 2749
Starlink 2755
May 11 SpaceBEE-64 to 75 ION-SVC 2, LEO Comms 06ES-FD 511 x 534 x 97.3
May 15 1111 BlackSky 8 ) Electron Mahia LC1 Imaging F02 F01582 -6060 x 117? x 50.0
BlackSky 9 ) Imaging F02 F01583 -6060 x 117? x 50.0
May 15 2256 Starlink 2063 Falcon 9 Kennedy LC39A Comms 41A
Starlink 2139
Starlink 2145
Starlink 2151
Starlink 2155
Starlink 2166-2167
Starlink 2173
Starlink 2186-2191
Starlink 2214-2215
Starlink 2217
Starlink 2219-2222
Starlink 2224-2225
Starlink 2227-2228
Starlink 2231-2238
Starlink 2240-2242
Starlink 2244-2246
Starlink 2248-2253
Starlink 2255-2256
Starlink 2274-2276
Starlink 2713-2714
Starlink 2757
Capella 6 Radar 41BF? S48606?
Tyvak-0130 Astron 41BE? S48605?
May 18 1737 SBIRS GEO 5) Atlas V Canaveral SLC41 EarlyWarn 42A S48618 898 x 35744 x 21.1
TDO-3 ) Tech 42B S48619 179 x 4518 x 26.1
TDO-4 ) Tech 42C S48620 180 x 4516 x 26.1
May 19 0403 HaiYang 2D Chang Zheng 4B Jiuquan Rem.Sen. 43A S48621 932 x 950 x 66.0
May 26 1859 Starlink 2521 Falcon 9 Canaveral SLC40 Com 44A-BM 257 x 282 x 53.0
Starlink 2615-2618
Starlink 2627
Starlink 2629
Starlink 2646-2649
Starlink 2651
Starlink 2653
Starlink 2657
Starlink 2666-2667
Starlink 2672-2673
Starlink 2688
Starlink 2691
Starlink 2695
Starlink 2701
Starlink 2704-2705
Starlink 2707-2709
Starlink 2711-2712
Starlink 2715
Starlink 2717
Starlink 2719-2720
Starlink 2725-2727
Starlink 2731-2743
Starlink 2745-2746
Starlink 2748
Starlink 2750-2754
Starlink 2756
Starlink 2758
Starlink 2763
May 28 1737 OneWeb SL0190 Soyuz-2-1b/Fregat Vostochniy PU1 Comms 45A-AM 442 x 452 x 87.4
OneWeb SL0210-0216
OneWeb SL0221-0248
May 29 1255 Tianzhou-2 Chang Zheng 7 Wenchang LC102 Cargo 46A S48803 369 x 377 x 41.5
Jun 2 1617 Fengyun 4 02 xing Chang Zheng 3B Xichang LC2 Weather 47A S48808 186 x 35808 x 28.5
Jun 3 1729 Dragon CRS-22 Falcon 9 Kennedy LC39A Cargo 48A S48831 193 x 212 x 51.6
Table of Recent Suborbital Launches
-----------------------------------
The Missile Defense Agency's FTM-31 Event 1 test on May 29 or May 30
appears to have involved launch of an MRBM-T3c2 target rocket with a
Trident C-4 first stage and M57 second stage, from Meck Island at
Kwajalein towards the central Pacific near Hawaii. The planned intercept
by two SM-6 missiles launched from an Aegis ship near Hawaii did not
take place, but it's not clear if the SM-6 missiles were launched but
missed, or weren't launched at all.
Further missile defense tests were carried on in late May from South
Uist in the Hebrides, with Aegis intercepts by ships off the west coast
of Scotland.
Date UT Payload/Flt Name Launch Vehicle Site Mission Apogee/km Target
Apr 14 1651 NS-15 New Shepard West Texas Test 106 West Texas
Apr 19 0830 SHIELDS Black Brant IX White Sands UV Astron 285 White Sands
Apr 28 0800? M51 payload MSBS M51 Landes Test? 1000? Atlantic
May 17 0441 KiNET-X Black Brant XIIA Wallops I LA1? Plasma 486 Atlantic
May 18 1830 EUNIS 4 Black Brant IX White Sands Solar EUV 335 White Sands
May 22 1526 VG-021 Spaceship Two Elephant Butte Test 89 Spaceport America
May 24 0535 MAPHEUS 11 IM/IM Kiruna Micrograv 216? ESRANGE
May 27 0115 VIPER Terr. Imp. Mal. Wallops Ionosphere 151? Atlantic
May 26 T4-B Target Terrier Oriole South Uist Target 300? Atlantic
May 26 AEGIS KV SM-3 DDG-117, D-701 Atlantic Interceptor 150? Intercept T4-B
May 29? FTM-31E1 Target MRBM-T3c2 Kwajalein Meck I. Target 500? Pacific
May 30 T4-B Target Terrier Oriole South Uist Target 300? Atlantic
May 30 AEGIS KV SM-3 DDG-117, D-701 Atlantic Interceptor 150? Intercept T4-B
.-------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| Jonathan McDowell | |
| Somerville MA 02143 | inter : planet4589 at gmail |
| USA | twitter: @planet4589 |
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