Jonathan's Space Report
No. 832 draft 2024 Mar 25 Somerville, MA
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International Space Station
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Expedition 70 continues.
The new spare Pump Module (unknown serial number) was moved
from the Dragon trunk to the ESP-3 storage platform on Mar 27.
Visiting crewmembers Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya and Ex70 flight engineer
Loral O'Hara departed the ISS on Apr 6 aboard Soyuz MS-24. Soyuz MS-24
undocked from Rassvet at about 0353:57 UTC and landed in Kazakhstan at
about 0717:49 UTC.
On Apr 11, the J-SSOD-28 deployer delivered on CRS-30 was extracted
from the Kibo airlock and three cubesats were deployed:
Kyushu Tech's CURTIS was ejected 0905 UTC Apr 11. Chiba U. Tech's
Kashiwa and Micro Orbiter's MO-1 were ejected 1035 UTC
On Apr 18, the Nanoracks NRCSD-27 deployer delivered on CRS-30 was extracted
from the Kibo airlock and seven cubesats were deployed.
Starlink launches
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Starlink Group 6-46 (23 sats) was launched from Canaveral on Mar 25.
Starlink Group 6-45 (23 sats) was launched from Canaveral on Mar 31.
Starlink Group 7-18 (22 sats) was launched from Vandenberg on Apr 2.
Starlink Group 6-47 (23 sats) was launched from Canaveral on Apr 5.
Starlink Group 8-1 (21 sats) was launched from Vandenberg on Apr 7.
Starlink Group 6-48 (23 sats) was launched from Canaveral on Apr 10.
Starlink Group 6-49 (23 sats) was launched from Canaveral on Apr 13.
Starlink Group 6-51 (23 sats) was launched from Kennedy on Apr 17.
New information on Space-Track.org confirms the launch of two secret satellites, USA 350 and 351,
on the Group 7-16 Starlink launch.
The Starlink Group 8-1 satellites include six direct-to-cell (DTC)
satellites, as did the Group 7-9 launch on Jan 3. Both of these launches
used a 340 km deployment orbit, notably higher than the usual 290 km
deployment orbit used by other recent Starlink launches. Richard Cole points
out this is because the lower operating altitude of the DTC sats (360 km)
requires more propellant for orbit maintenance, so they can't afford to
use that propellant for orbit raising.
SAST launches
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On Mar 26 SAST launched a CZ-6A which placed the Yunhai-3 02 military
weather satellite in 06:00 LTDN sun-sync orbit.
On Apr 2 SAST launched a CZ-2D which placed the Yaogan 42-01 satellite in
a 500 km, 35 degree orbit.
On Apr 15 SAST launched a CZ-2D placing the Siwei Gaojing 3-01 commercial
imaging satellite in 10:30 LTDN sun-sync orbit for
the company Zhongguo Siwei Cehui Jishu YG.
Eutelsat
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On Mar 30 SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from Kennedy Space Center pad 39A
carrying the ~5000 kg Eutelsat 36D comms sat to a supersync geotransfer
orbit with apogee around 61000 km. EUTELSAT 36D is an Airbus Eurostar
Neo with electric propulsion and a Ku-band television broadcasting
payload for 36 deg E GEO.
As of Apr 15, Space Force had not issued any orbital data for the satellite since Apr 1.
The Falcon 9 second stage is in a 266 x 60865 km x 26.9 deg orbit.
Resurs-P4
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On Mar 31 Roskosmos launched the Resurs-P4 remote sensing satellite on a Soyuz-2-1B
from Baykonur to a 0230 LTDN sun-synch orbit. Resurs-P4 has a mass around 6000 kg
and carries the Geoton-L1 Earth-imaging telescope.
Bandwagon-1
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On Apr 7 SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 with the Bandwagon-1 rideshare mission.
The main payload was a secret Project 425 radar spy satellite for South Korea's ADD.
Also aboard were six Hawk commercial sigint satellites for Hawkeye 360, the Centauri 6 IoT comms sat for Fleet,
the QPS-SAR-7 radar sat for QPS (Japan), the Capella 14 radar satellite, and the TSAT 1 imaging
satellite built by Satellogic for Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (India).
NROL-70
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ULA launched the last Delta 4 Heavy from Canaveral on Apr 9 on the NROL-71 mission
carrying the USA 353 satellite. It is believed to be a large geostationary signals intelligence satellite.
Angara
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Khrunichev's Angara A5 rocket flew a test mission from Vostochniy on Apr 11 carrying Energiya's
Orion upper stage (a modified Blok DM-03). Orion made four or five burns to reach a geosync graveyard
orbit, pausing in LEO to deploy the Gagarinets cubesat for Avant Space and a second dummy cubesat,
and pausing again in GEO to perform a simulated separation of a large dummy satellite (which
in fact remained attached to the stage, to avoid leaving debris in GEO).
USSF-62
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SpaceX launched the US Space Force's WSF-M (Weather Satellite Followon - Microwave) SV-1 satellite
from Vandenberg to a 0600 LTDN sun-synch orbit on Apr 11. The 1200 kg satellite was built
by Ball Aerospace.
Table of Recent Orbital Launches
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Date UT Name Launch Vehicle Site Mission INTL. Catalog Perigee Apogee Incl Notes
Mar 4 0353 Dragon Crew-8 Falcon 9 Kennedy LC39A Spaceship 42A 191 x 215 x 51.6
Mar 4 2205 Transporter-10 Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Rideshare 43 508 x 529 x 97.5
Mar 4 2356 Starlink Group 6-41 Falcon 9 Canaveral Comms 44 273 x 283 x 43.1
Mar 10 2305 Starlink Group 6-43 Falcon 9 Canaveral Comms 45 273 x 283 x 43.1
Mar 11 0409 Starlink Group 7-17 Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Comms 46 284 x 294 x 53.2
Mar 12 1503 Strix 3 Electron Mahia LC1B Radar 47A 553 x 579 x 97.6
Mar 13 0201 KAIROS TUGKE KAIROS Kii Imaging F01 -6378 x 0 x 97
Mar 13 1251 DRO-A/DRO-B Chang Zheng 2C/YZ-1S Xichang Lunar 48A 525 x 132577 x 27.7
Mar 14 1325 Starship 28 Starship Starbase OLP1 Test U01 -54 x 234 x 26.5
Mar 16 0021 Starlink Group 6-44 Falcon 9 Kennedy LC39A Comms 49 279 x 288 x 43.0
Mar 19 0228 Starlink Group 7-16 Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Comms 50 305 x 314 x 53.2
USA 350 Sigint? 50W 305 x 314 x 53.2
USA 351 Sigint? 50X 305 x 314 x 53.2
Mar 20 0031 Queqiao-2 Chang Zheng 8 Wenchang LC201 Lunar 51A 200 x 420000 x 22.6
Tiandu-1 Lunar 51B? 200 x 420000 x 22.6
Tiandu-2 Lunar 51C? 200 x 420000 x 22.6
Mar 21 0527 Yunhai-2 02 zu 01 xing Chang Zheng 2D/YZ-3 Jiuquan Weather 52A 1130 x 1140 x 50.1
Yunhai-2 02 zu 02 xing Weather 52B 1130 x 1140 x 50.1
Yunhai-2 02 zu 03 xing Weather 52C 1130 x 1140 x 50.1
Yunhai-2 02 zu 04 xing Weather 52D 475 x 486 x 50.1
Yunhai-2 02 zu 05 xing Weather 52E 475 x 486 x 50.1
Yunhai-2 02 zu 06 xing Weather 52F 475 x 486 x 50.1
Mar 21 0725 USA 352 Electron MARS Pad 0C Tech 53A 500?x500? x48
Mola Tech 53B
Aerocube 16A Tech 53C
Aerocube 16B Tech 53D
Mar 21 2055 Dragon CRS-30 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Cargo 54A 193 x 211 x 51.7
Mar 23 1236 Soyuz MS-25 Soyuz-2-1a Baykonur LC31 Spaceship 55A 330 x 367 x 51.6
Mar 24 0309 Starlink Group 6-42 Falcon 9 Kennedy LC39A Comms 56 284 x 292 x 43.0
Mar 25 2342 Starlink Group 6-46 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 57 284 x 293 x 43.0
Mar 26 2241 Yunhai-3 02 Chang Zheng 6A Taiyuan Weather 58A 840 x 856 x 98,8
Mar 30 2152 Eutelsat 36D Falcon 9 Kennedy LC39A Comms 59A 265 x 61146 x 26.9
Mar 31 0130 Starlink Group 6-45 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 60 284 x 292 x 43.0
Mar 31 0936 Resurs-P4 Soyuz-2-1B Baykonur LC31 Imaging 61A 286 x 466 x 97.2
Apr 2 0230 Starlink Group 7-18 Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Comms 62 284 x 293 x 53.2
Apr 2 2256 Yaogan 42-01 Chang Zheng 2D Xichang Imaging? 63A 491 x 502 x 35.0
Apr 5 0912 Starlink Group 6-47 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 64 284 x 292 x 43.0
Apr 7 0225 Starlink Group 8-1 Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Comms 65 335 x 344 x 53.2
Apr 7 2316 Project 425 SAR Falcon 9 Kennedy LC39A Radar 66L 590 x 596 x 45.6
Hawk 8A Sigint 66B 590 x 596 x 45.6
Hawk 8B Sigint 66D 590 x 596 x 45.6
Hawk 8C Sigint 66H 590 x 596 x 45.6
Hawk 9A Sigint 66E 590 x 596 x 45.6
Hawk 9B Sigint 66J 590 x 596 x 45.6
Hawk 9C Sigint 66G 590 x 596 x 45.6
Centauri 6 Comms 66K 590 x 596 x 45.6
Tsukuyomi-II Radar 66F 590 x 596 x 45.6
Capella 14 Radar 66C 590 x 596 x 45.6
TSAT 1A Imaging 66A 590 x 596 x 45.6
Apr 9 1653 USA 353 Delta 4H Canaveral SLC37 Sigint 67A 35780 x 35790 x 0
Apr 10 0540 Starlink Group 6-48 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 68 284 x 292 x 43.0
Apr 11 0900 GMM KA Angara A5/Orion Vostochniy 1A Tech 69A
Gagarinets Tech 69B 196 x 450 x 51.7
Dummy cubesat Tech 69C 196 x 450 x 51.7
Apr 11 0905 CURTIS ISS, LEO Tech 98067WF 413 x 420 x 51.6
Apr 11 1035 Kashiwa ISS, LEO Tech 98067WG 413 x 420 x 51.6
MicroOrbiter-1 Tech 98067WH 413 x 420 x 51.6
Apr 11 1425 WSF-M SV1 Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Weather 70A 819 x 828 x 98.7
Apr 13 0140 Starlink Group 6-49 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 71 283 x 291 x 43.0
Apr 15 0412 Siwei Gaojing 3-01 Chang Zheng 2D Jiuquan Imaging 72A 489 x 503 x 97.5
Apr 17 2126 Starlink Group 6-51 Falcon 9 Kennedy LC39A Comms 73 284 x 292 x 43.0
Apr 18 1126 Snoopi ISS, LEO Science 98067
BurstCube Astron 98067
Apr 18 1136 HyTI Imaging 98067
Apr 18 1755 Killick-1 Science 98067
QMSAT Tech 98067
Violet Science 98067
Apr 18 1805 BigRedSat Tech 98067
Apr 18 2240 Starlink Group 6-52 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 74 284 x 292 x 43.0
Table of Recent Suborbital Launches
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Date UT Payload Rocket Site Mission Apogee Target
Mar 1 Yars RV Yars Plesetsk Op. test 1000? Kura
Mar 11 RV x 3? Agni 5 Kalam Island Test 800? Indian Ocean
Mar 12 0515 REXUS 32 Orion ESRANGE Microgravity 80? ESRANGE
Mar 14 1200 REXUS 31 Orion ESRANGE Microgravity 80? ESRANGE
Mar 24 0945 TEXUS 60 VSB-30 ESRANGE Microgravity 264? ESRANGE
Mar 28 FTM-32 Target MRBM-T3c2 Kauai Target 300? Pacific
Apr 1 2152 HS-16B RV Hwasong-16B Chongdong Test 101 Sea of Japan
Apr 8 1840 NASA 36.392UE Black Brant 9 Wallops I Eclipse 420? Atlantic
Apr 8 1925 NASA 36.393UE Black Brant 9 Wallops I Eclipse 420? Atlantic
Apr 8 2028 NASA 36.394UE Black Brant 9 Wallops I Eclipse 420? Atlantic
Apr 12 1600? Yars-E RV Topol'-ME Kapustin Yar Test 1000? Sary Shagan
Apr 13 2300? Warheads Emad? (many) Iran Weapon 300? Israel
Apr 13 2300? Warheads Kheibar Shekan? Iran Weapon 300? Israel
Apr 13 2300? Warheads Dezful? Yemen? Weapon 300? Israel
Apr 13 2300? Warheads Ghadr-110? Iran Weapon 300? Israel
(total 110 Iran ballistic missile launches on Apr 14?)
Apr 13 2330? Aegis KV SM-3 DDG-51, E. Med. Interceptor 100? Intercept Iranian missiles
Apr 13 2330? Aegis KV SM-3 DDG-51, E. Med. Interceptor 100? Intercept Iranian missiles
Apr 13 2330? Aegis KV SM-3 DDG-64, E. Med. Interceptor 100? Intercept Iranian missiles
Apr 13 2330? Aegis KV SM-3 DDG-64, E. Med. Interceptor 100? Intercept Iranian missiles
Apr 17 2213 FOXSI-4 Black Brant 9 Poker Flat Solar X-ray 300? PFRR Alaska
Apr 17 2214 Hi-C FLARE Black Brant 9 Poker Flat Solar X-ray 300? PFRR Alaska
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| Jonathan McDowell | |
| Somerville MA 02143 | inter : planet4589 at gmail |
| USA | twitter: @planet4589 |
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