Jonathan's Space Report
No. 836 Draft 2024 Jul 25 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, but
funding for continued full-scale operation is in doubt.
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, and visiting Starliner crew 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.
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.
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.
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 over 50 debris
objects have been detected from a breakup, probably of the upper stage.
Strix
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Synspective's Strix-4 radar satellite was launched on Aug 2 by Rocket Lab Electron from New Zealand.
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 140 800 x 800 x 89.0
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
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| Jonathan McDowell | |
| Somerville MA 02143 | inter : planet4589 at gmail |
| USA | twitter: @planet4589 |
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