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Jonathan's Space Report
No. 840 draft                                                    2024 Nov 18    Somerville, MA
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International Space Station
---------------------------

Expedition 72 continues with Suni Williams (ISS commander), Barry Wilmore, Aleksey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner, 
Don Pettit, Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov.

Progress MS-27 undocked from the Poisk module at 1253 UTC Nov 19 and reentered over the S Pacific at about
1651 UTC the same day.

Progress MS-29 was launched on Nov 21 and docked with the Poisk module at 1431 UTC Nov 23.

On Dec 9, five cubesats were deployed from the Kibo airlock using the J-SSOD No. 30 deployer.

Starlink launches
------------------

Starlink Group 6-66 (24 sats) was launched from Canaveral on Nov 21 to a 43 deg orbit.
Starlink Group 9-13 (20 sats) was launched from Vandenberg on Nov 24 to a 53 deg orbit.
Starlink Group 12-1 (23 sats) was launched from Canaveral on Nov 25 to a 43 deg orbit.
Starlink Group 6-76 (24 sats) was launched from Kennedy on Nov 27 to a 43 deg orbit.
Starlink Group 6-65 (24 sats) was launched from Canaveral on Nov 30 to a 43 deg orbit.
Starlink Group 6-70 (24 sats) was launched from Canaveral on Dec 4 to a 43 deg orbit.
Starlink Group 9-14 (20 sats) was launched from Vandenberg on Dec 5 to a 53 deg orbit.
Starlink Group 12-5 (23 sats) was launched from Canaveral on Dec 8 to a 43 deg orbit.
Starlink Group 11-2 (22 sats) was launched from Vandenberg on Dec 13 to a 53 deg orbit.

An unnamed Starlink group (20 sats) was launched from Vandenberg on Nov 30 to a 70 deg orbit
on the NROL-126 lauch along with a set of an unknown number of NRO Starshield satellites
(I am guessing 2 for now).

Falcon 9 GTO launches
----------------------

New Space India Ltd.'s Ka-band GSAT-20 comms satellite was launched by Falcon 9 from Canaveral on Nov 18.

Sirius XM's SXM-9 satellite was launched by Falcon 9 from Kennedy on Dec 5.


CALT launches
-------------

CALT launched a CZ-2C from Taiyuan on Nov 24 with two Siwei Gaojing commercial radar satellites for Superview.

CALT launched a CZ-3B from Xichang on Dec 3 with the Tongxin Jishu Shiyan Weixing 13 to a 51 deg elliptical
orbit similar to the insertion orbit used by the Shiyan 10 sats, which later maneuvered to a Molniya orbit.


SAST launches
-------------

On Nov 30 SAST launched the first Chang Zheng 12 (CZ-12) from a pad at the new Hainan Commercial Launch Site,
close to Wenchang Space Centre. The rocket carried two satellite internet test satellites.

On Dec 5 SAST launched a CZ-6A from Taiyuan with the third batch of Qianfan internet satellites.

On Dec 12 SAST launched a CZ-2D/YZ-3 from Jiuquan with five `High Speed Laser Diamond Constellation
Test System' (Gaosu jiguang zuanzhi xingzuo shiyan xitong) satellites.

Kineis
------

Rocket Lab launched an Electron from Mahia on Nov 24 with five more IoT satellites for Kineis.


Starship
--------

Starship flight 6 was launched on Nov 19. The booster was waved off from
a recovery attempt (due to a tower issue) and made a divert burn to a
water splashdown. The ship reached an estimated 8 x 190 km x 26.2 deg
orbit, the first time Starship has had positive perigee. A Raptor
in-flight restart during descent raised the orbit to about 50 x 228 km,
followed by entry over the Indian Ocean and splashdown on the ocean
surface.

Zhuque-2E
---------

On Nov 27 Landspace launched the first Zhuque-2E, an uprated version of the methalox Zhuque-2.
The rocket carried two Guangchuan test satellites for laser intersat comms.

Kondor
------

Russia launched the 1050 kg Kondor-FKA No. 2 radar satellite from Vostochniy on Nov 29.

KZ-1A
------

On Dec  4 EXPACE/CASIC launched an enhanced version of the Kuaizhou-1A rocket, with larger diameter
third stage and restartable fourth stage. The rocket placed the Haishao-1 radar
sat in orbit.

Lotos
-----

Russia launched a Lotos-S electronic intelligence satellite on Dec 4; it was codenamed Kosmos-2580.

Proba-3
--------

India's ISRO launched PSLV-C59 on Dec 5 placing ESA's Proba-3 mission in an elliptical orbit. Proba-3 is
a solar coronagraph observatory with separately formation-flying detector and occulter satellites.

Sentinel-1C
------------

The Sentinel-1C radar satellite for the EU's Copernicus program was launched on a Vega-C from the Centre
Spatial Guyanais on Dec 5.

Simorgh
--------

Iran launched a Simorgh on Dec 6, placing the Saman-1 `space tug' in orbit. Saman-1 is a restartable
upper stage comparable in concept to stages like the Briz-M. One or possibly two cubesats
were also deployed.

Lucy
-----

The Lucy probe re-entered the Earth's gravitational sphere on Dec 11 at 1343 UTC, flew
351 km from Earth at 0414 UTC Dec 13, and returned to solar orbit at 1851 UTC Dec 14.
The encounter boosted Lucy's aphelion from 2.2 AU to 5.7 AU.

Table of Recent Orbital (and near-Orbital) Launches
---------------------------------------------------

Date UT       Name			          Launch Vehicle	 Site		 Mission  INTL.  Catalog  Perigee Apogee  Incl	 Notes
Oct  4 1125   Cert-2                               Vulcan VC2S           Canaveral SLC41  Test      179A  735 x -237885 x 26.7
Oct  7 1452   Hera                                 Falcon 9              Canaveral SLC40  Probe     180A  190 x -36368 x 34.2
Oct  8 1025   CySat-1                                                   ISS, LEO          Tech    98067WZ 408 x 421 x 51.6
Oct  8 1035   DORA                                                      ISS, LEO          Tech    98067XA 410 x 420 x 51.6
Oct 10 1350   HGW 03                               Chang Zheng 3B        Xichang          Comms     181A 198 x 35774 x 28.4
Oct 13 1225   Starship 30                          Starship              Starbase OLP1    Test      U04  -15 x 213 x 26.2
Oct 14 1606   Europa Clipper                       Falcon Heavy          Kennedy LC39A    Probe     182A 180 x -32078 x 32.9
Oct 15 0610   Starlink Group 10-10                 Falcon 9              Canaveral LC40   Comms     183  280 x 291 x 53.2
Oct 15 0821   Starlink Group 9-7                   Falcon 9              Vandenberg SLC4E Comms     184  277 x 287 x 53.2
Oct 15 1106   Qianfan Jigui 02 (01 to 18)          Chang Zheng 6A        Taiyuan          Comms     185
Oct 15 2345   Gao Fen 12-05                        Chang Zheng 4C        Jiuquan          Radar     186A 594 x 600 x 97.9
Oct 18 2331   Starlink Group 8-19                  Falcon 9              Canaveral LC40   Comms     187  280 x 291 x 53.2
Oct 20 0513   OneWeb L20                           Falcon 9              Canaveral LC40   Comms     188  591 x 595 x 86.5
Oct 22 0010   Tianping-3A(01)                      Chang Zheng 6         Taiyuan          Calib     189A 555 x 566 x 97.6
              Tianping-3B(01)                                                             Calib     189B
              Tianping-3B(02)                                                             Calib     189C
Oct 23 0109   Yaogan 43-03-01                      Chang Zheng 2C        Xichang          Comms?    190A 490 x 502 x 35.0 
              Yaogan 43-03-02                                                             Comms?    190B
              Yaogan 43-03-03                                                             Comms?    190C
Oct 23 2147   Starlink Group 6-61                  Falcon 9              Canaveral LC40   Comms     191  284 x 291 x 43.0
Oct 24 1713   Starshield Group 1-4                 Falcon 9              Vandenberg SLC4E Imaging?  192  300 x 310 x 70.0
Oct 26 2147   Starlink Group 10-8                  Falcon 9              Canaveral LC40   Comms     193  290 x 301 x 53.2
Oct 29 2027   Shenzhou 19                          Chang Zheng 2F        Jiuquan          Spaceship 194A 382 x 392 x 41.5
Oct 30 1207   Starlink Group 9-9                   Falcon 9              Vandenberg SLC4E Comms     195  285 x 295 x 53.2
Oct 30 2110   Starlink Group 10-13                 Falcon 9              Canaveral LC40   Comms     196  269 x 278 x 53.2
Oct 30 2211   Hwasong-19 RV                        Hwasong-19            Chongdong        Test      U05 -6243 x 7687 x 42
Oct 31 0751   Kosmos-2579                          Soyuz-2-1a            Plesetsk LC43/4  Imaging   197A 338 x 498 x 97.6
Nov  4 0648   Kirameki 3                           H3-22S                Tanegashima      Comms     198A 396 x 35415 x 24.8
Nov  4 2318   Ionosfera-M No. 1                    Soyuz-2-1b/Fregat     Vostochniy PU1S  Sci       199A 831 x 846 x 98.8 
              Ionosfera-M No. 2                                                           Sci       199B 827 x 850 x 98.8
              Rideshare sats                                                              Various   199  594 x 615 x 97.4
              Rideshare sats                                                              Various   199  492 x 530 x 97.4
Nov  5 0229   Dragon CRS-31                        Falcon 9               Kennedy LC39A   Cargo     200A  193 x 210 x 51.6
Nov  5 1054   E-Space 4?                           Electron               Mahia LC1B      Comms     201B  640 x 652 x 97.9
Nov  7 2019   Starlink Group 6-77                  Falcon 9               Canaveral LC40  Comms     202   282 x 290 x 43.0
Nov  9 0339   PIESAT 2-1                           Chang Zheng 2C         Jiuquan         Radar?    203A  516 x 537 x 97.5
              PIESAT 2-2                                                                  Radar?    203B
              PIESAT 2-3                                                                  Radar?    203C
              PIESAT 2-4                                                                  Radar?    203D
Nov  9 0644   Starlink Group 9-10                  Falcon 9               Vandenberg SLC4E Comms    204   284 x 295 x 53.2
Nov 11 0403   Shiyan 26A                           Lijian-1               Jiuquan         Imaging?  205A  513 x 532 x 97.5
              Shiyan 26B                                                                  Imaging?  205B
              Shiyan 26C                                                                  Imaging?  205B
              Jilin-1 GF05B                                                               Imaging   205
              Jilin-1 PT02A03                                                             Imaging   205
              Yunyao-1 31 to 36                                                           GNSS-RO   205
              Xiguang-1-04                                                                Imaging   205
              Xiguang-1-05                                                                Imaging   205
              Tianyan-24                                                                  Imaging?  205
              Oman Zhineng Yaogan 1                                                       Imaging   205
Nov 11 1722   Koreasat-6A                          Falcon 9               Kennedy LC39A   Comms    206A   388 x 35333 x 26.2
Nov 11 2128   Starlink Group 6-69                  Falcon 9               Canaveral LC40  Comms     207   281 x 289 x 43.0 
Nov 13 2242   Hai Yang 4-01                        Chang Zheng 4B         Taiyuan         EO Sci    208A  632 x 645 x 98.0
Nov 14 0523   Starlink Group 9-11                  Falcon 9               Vandenberg SLC4E Comms    209   282 x 292 x 53.2
Nov 14 1321   Starlink Group 6-68                  Falcon 9               Canaveral LC40  Comms     210   277 x 284 x 43.0
Nov 15 1513   Tianzhou 8                           Chang Zheng 7          Wenchang        Cargo     211A  201 x 334 x 41.5
Nov 17 2228   Optus X (TD7)                        Falcon 9               Kennedy SLC39A  Comms     212A  425 x 49656 x 17.8
Nov 18 0553   Starlink Group 9-12                  Falcon 9               Vandenberg SLC4E Comms    213   280 x 289 x 53.2
Nov 18 1831   GSAT-20                              Falcon 9               Canaveral LC40  Comms     214A  214 x 59510 x 27.7
Nov 19 2200   Starship 31                          Starship 1.0           Starbase OLP1   Test      U06    50 x 228 x 26.3
Nov 21 1222   Progress MS-29                       Soyuz-2-1a             Baykonur LC31   Cargo     215A  171 x 195 x 51.6 
Nov 21 1607   Starlink Group 6-66                  Falcon 9               Canaveral LC40  Comms     216   286 x 293 x 43.0
Nov 23 0525   Starlink Group 9-13                  Falcon 9               Vandenberg SLC4E Comms    217   280 x 290 x 53.2
Nov 24 2339   Siwei Gaojing 2-03                   Chang Zheng 2C         Taiyuan         Radar     218A  494 x 519 x 97.4
              Siwei Gaojing 2-04                                                          Radar     218B
Nov 25 0335   Kineis 3A-3E                         Electron               Mahia 1B        Comms     219   637 x 638 x 98.0
Nov 25 1002   Starlink Group 12-1                  Falcon 9               Canaveral LC40  Comms     220   320 x 331 x 43.0
Nov 27 0200   Guangchuan-01                        Zhuque-2E              Jiuquan         Comms     221A  304 x 499 x 50.0
              Guangchuan-02                                                               Comms     221B  304 x 499 x 50.0
Nov 27 0441   Starlink Group 6-76                  Falcon 9               Kennedy LC39A   Comms     222   284 x 291 x 43.0
Nov 29 2150   Kondor-FKA No. 2                     Soyuz-2-1a/Fregat      Vostochniy PU1S Radar     223   508 x 512 x 97.4
Nov 30 0500   Starlink Group 6-65                  Falcon 9               Canaveral LC40  Comms     224   282 x 290 x 43.0
Nov 30 0810   Starlink Group N-01                  Falcon 9               Vandenberg SLC4E Comms    225   302 x 317 x 70.0
              USA 438 to 440?                                                             Imaging?  225
Nov 30 1425   WHJSW-5?                             Chang Zheng 12         Hainan CSLS     Comms     226A  994 x 1078 x 50.0
              JSW-03                                                                      Comms     226B
Dec  3 0556   TJS 13                               Chang Zheng 3B         Xichang LC3     Comms?    227A  172 x 40116 x 51.0
Dec  4 0446   Haishao-1                            Kuaizhou-1A (E)        Xichang         Radar     228A  355 x 511 x 43.0
Dec  4 1013   Starlink Group 6-70                  Falcon 9               Canaveral LC40  Comms     229   277 x 284 x 43.0
Dec  4 1759   Kosmos-2580                          Soyuz-2-1b             Plesetsk        Sigint    230A  239 x 899 x 67.1
Dec  5 0305   Starlink Group 9-14                  Falcon 9               Vandenberg SLC4E Comms    231   273 x 284 x 53.2
Dec  5 0441   Qianfan Jigui 03 (01 to 18)          Chang Zheng 6A        Taiyuan          Comms     232   No data yet
Dec  5 1034   Proba-3 CSC/OSC                      PSLV-XL                Satish Dhawan   Tech      233A  573 x 60562 x 59.2
Dec  5 1610   SXM-9                                Falcon 9               Kennedy LC39A   Comms     234A  No data yet
Dec  5 2120   Sentinel-1C                          Vega-C                 CSG ELV         Radar     235A  696 x 697 x 98.2
Dec  6 0314?  Saman-1                              Simorgh                Khomeini        Tech      236   302 x 401 x 58.6
              Fakhr-1                                                                     Comms     236   302 x 401 x 58.6
              Unknown payload?                                                            Tech      236   302 x 401 x 58.6
Dec  8 0512   Starlink Group 12-5                  Falcon 9               Canaveral LC40  Comms     237   285 x 293 x 43.0
Dec  9 0815?  Yodaka                                                      ISS, LEO        Comms    98067  404 x 419 x 51.6
Dec  9 1115?  Lignosat                                                    ISS, LEO        Tech     98067  404 x 419 x 51.6
              Yomogi                                                                      Imaging  98067 404 x 419 x 51.6
              DENDEN-01                                                                   Tech     98067 404 x 419 x 51.6
Dec  9 1417?  Onglaisat                                                   ISS, LEO        Imaging  98067 404 x 419 x 51.6
Dec 12 0717   Gaosu Jiguan Zuanzhi 1               Chang Zheng 2D/YZ3     Jiuquan         Comms     238A  1143 x 1161 x 59.9
              Gaosu Jiguan Zuanzhi 2                                                      Comms     238B  791 x 812 x 59.9
              Gaosu Jiguan Zuanzhi 3                                                      Comms     238B  975 x 990 x 59.9
              Gaosu Jiguan Zuanzhi 4                                                      Comms     238B  973 x 989 x 59.9
              Gaosu Jiguan Zuanzhi 5                                                      Comms     238B  977 x 990 x 59.9
Dec 13 2155   Starlink Group 11-2                  Falcon 9               Vandenberg SLC4E Comms    239

Table of Recent Suborbital Launches 
-----------------------------------

At about 0300 UTC Nov 21, Russia launched an Orezhnik intermediate
range ballistic missile (IRBM) from Kapustin Yar against the Ukrainian city of Dnipro,
with MIRV reentry vehicles carrying either conventional or possibly dummy warheads.
The US DoD reports that the missile is a derivative of the 15Zh67 Rubezh, 
but is not an ICBM as was claimed by Ukraine.

New Shepard flight NS-28, on Nov 22, carried Austin Litteral (space
traveler 711), Marc Hagle (614), Sharon Hagle (613), Hank Wolfond (712),
J.D. Russell (713), and Emily Calandrelli (714) to a 107.0 km apogee.
Calandrelli became the 100th woman to reach space.


Date UT       Payload           Rocket              Site                 Mission       Apogee    Target

Oct  1 1309   SL-15             SpaceLoft XL        Spaceport America    Micrograv      100?     White Sands?
Oct  1 1630?  Warhead           Shahab-3?  (x180)   S Shiraz             Weapon         200?     Israel
                                Emad?
                                Ghadr-110?
                                Kheibar Shekan?
                                Fattah-1?
Oct 20 1824   Aftershock II     Aftershock          Black Rock           Test            143     Black Rock
Oct 23 1525?  NS-27             New Shepard         West Texas           Test            101?    West Texas
Oct 24 2310   Target?           Terrier Oriole?     Wallops              Target?         100?    Atlantic
Nov  6 0701   GT251 RV          Minuteman 3         Vandenberg LF10      Op.Test        1300?    Kwajalein
Nov  8        SL-20             SpaceLoft XL        Spaceport America    Tech            100?    White Sands?
Nov  8        Warhead           Palestine-2         Sanaa?               Weapon          200?    Israel
Nov 10 2136   VORTEX 2A         Black Brant 9       Andoya               Atmosphere      358     Norw. Sea
Nov 10 2138   VORTEX 2B         Terrier Imp.Orion   Andoya               Atmosphere      144     Norw. Sea
Nov 11        Warhead           Palestine-2         Sanaa?               Weapon          200?    Israel
Nov 11 0838   MAPHEUS 15        Red Kite/IM         ESRANGE              Microgravity    309     ESRANGE
Nov 14 0230   S-520-34          S-520               Uchinoura            Tech            217     Pacific Ocean
Nov 15        RV                LRAShM              Kalam I.             Hypersonic      100?    Bay of Bengal
Nov 21 0300?  Warheads (6?)     Oreshnik            Kapustin Yar         Weapon          500?    Dnipro
Nov 22 1530   NS-28             New Shepard         West Texas           Tourist         107     West Texas
Nov 24 0600   HIPPO             HASTE               Wallops I.           Hypersonic      300?    Atlantic 
Nov 26 0500   MASER 16          VSB-30              ESRANGE              Microgravity    256     ESRANGE
Nov 27        K-4 RV            K-4                 INS Arighaat, B.Bengal Test          500?    S Indian Ocean
Nov 29 1619   VS-30 V15         VS-30               CLBI                 Test            130?    Atlantic
Dec  5 0605   Test              Duqm-1              Etlaq, Oman          Test            140?    Arabian Sea?
Dec 10        RV                MRBM Target         C-19, Wake I.        Target          300?    Pacific
Dec 10        Aegis KV FEM-02   SM-3-IIA            Guam                 Interceptor     100?    Intercept MRBM
Dec 12 1630   LRHW              CHGB                Canaveral LC46       Test            150?    Atlantic
Dec 14 0100   STONEHENGE        HASTE               Wallops I.           Hypersonic      300?    Atlantic

.-------------------------------------------------------------------------.
|  Jonathan McDowell                 |                                    |
|  Somerville MA 02143               |  inter : planet4589 at gmail       |
|  USA                               |  twitter: @planet4589              |
|                                                                         |
| JSR: https://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html                                 |
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