Jonathan's Space Report No. 792 2021 May 10 Somerville, MA ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- International Space Station --------------------------- On Apr 23 at 0949:02 UTC SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from Kennedy Space Center LC39A with the Dragon SpX Crew-2 mission. Booster B1061, on its 2nd flight, landed on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You. The second stage reached a 190 x 213 km x 51.6 deg orbit 8m49s after launch The Crew Dragon payload consists of Crew Dragon capsule C206 "Endeavour", on its second flight, and a new Crew Dragon Trunk (the 4th) on its first and only flight. Aboard C206 were astronauts Shane Kimbrough (NASA), Megan McArthur (NASA), Akihiko Hoshide (JAXA) and Thomas Pesquet (ESA). The second stage was deorbited on the first orbit and reentered west of Australia. Endeavour reached a rendezvous with the ISS at a range of 400 metres at 0820 UTC Apr 24, and docked with the IDA-2/PMA-2 port at 0908 UTC. On May 2 at 0035 UTC Resilience undocked from IDA-3/PMA-3 with the Crew-1 astronauts Hopkins, Glover, Noguchi, and Walker. Resilience made burns at 0040, 0128, 0214 and 0407 UTC lowering its orbit slightly to about 400 km. At 0558 UTC the Dragon trunk was jettisoned into a 406 x 411 km orbit. The SpaceX commentary implied the trunk and the deorbit propellant total 6000 lb (about 2700 kg) and the Dragon entry mass was 21000 lb (9500 kg); since I estimate the deorbit prop needed to be about 400 kg, that would imply the trunk mass is a surprisingly large 2300 kg. Dragon's deorbit burn was frmom 0603:12 to 0619:39 UTC and decreased the spaceship's velocity by 115.2m/s; entry interface was at 0645 UTC and the vehicle splashed down off the coast of Panama City, Florida, near 86.0W 29.75N, at about 0656:43 UTC May 2. OneWeb ------ 36 OneWeb satellites were launched on Apr 25 aboard a Soyuz from Vostochniy into a 444 x 454 km x 87.4 deg parking orbit. USA 314 -------- On Apr 26 United Launch Alliance launched a Delta 4 Heavy from Vandenberg AFB's Space Launch Complex 6 on mission NROL-82. The rocket placed a heavy National Reconnaissance Office payload codenamed USA 314 in a 525 x 758 km x 98.0 deg, 1300 LTDN sun-synchronous orbit. USA 314 is thought to be a version of the CRYSTAL imaging space satellite. CZ-6 ---- China's SAST launched Chang Zheng 6 no. Y5 from Taiyuan on Apr 27, placing 9 satellites in a 1030 LTDN sun-synch orbit: Qilu-1, radar imaging satellite for the Shandong Industrial Technology Research Institute. Qilu-4, optical imaging satellite for the Shandong Industrial Technology Research Institute. Foshan-1 is an imaging satellite for Jihua Labs in Foshan; it's not clear whether they also built the satellite. Jihua Labs appears to be operated by the Guandong provincial government. Taijing 2-01, an imaging sat from Weina Xingkong Co. (MinoSpace). Tianqi 09; IoT comms sat for Guodian Gaokeji, built by Shanghai ASES. Zhongan Guotong 1 (also called Hangsheng 1), from Zhongan Guotong Sat Tech Dev Co (Shenzhen) and Hunan Hangsheng Satellite Technology (Changsha). Satellite for real time imaging and data transmission. NEO-1, from Shenzhen Origin Space Tech Co. Ltd., with an imager (perhaps for asteroid surveys, or just a test version for now?) and an active debris removal experiment (with a target and a net, like RemoveDebris). Jin Zijing ('Golden Bauhinia') 1-01 and 1-02): two imaging sats from Lingzhong Kongjian Jishu (Beijing Zero G Lab). Previously the G. Bauhinia constellation was associated with Hong Kong Aerospace Tech Group, unless that's an unrelated system with the same name. JZ-1-02 is also called Lingque-1 D02. Vega VV18 --------- Arianespace's light Vega launcher made a successful return to flight with launch of the Pleiades Neo 3 imaging satellite for Airbus Space and Defense - Intelligence. The AVUM upper stage then lowered its orbit by 15 km and deployed NorSat-3 for the Norwegian Space Centre, Bravo for Aurora Insight, ELO Alpha for Eutelsat, and two Lemur satellites for Spire Global. The Vega AVUM stage was deorbited over the Indian Ocean west of Australia at 0425 UTC Apr 29. Intiially no orbital data were released for Pleiades Neo 3, but TLEs became available on Mar 3 showing it in a 624 x 626 km x 97.9 deg, 1030 LT SSO. Although it is a commercial imagery satellite, military intelligence may be one if its major customers. Tianhe ------- The Tianhe core module for China's new Tiangong-3 space station was launched from Wenchang on Apr 29. The 22600 kg module was placed in orbit by a CZ-5B rocket. separating from the empty 21200 kg core stage at 0331 UTC. About 5 minutes later, both the module and the core stage passed only 300 km from the International Space Station, which is rather close to come given that there was no coordination between CALT and NASA on the launch trajectory. This close pass appears deliberate given that really careful timing was needed to achieve it. The large 21-tonne CZ-5B core stage was left in 170 x 375 km orbit, and after 10 days in orbit reentered over Saudi Arabia at about 0214 UTC May 9, just after passing directly over Riyadh. Its debris fell in the Indian Ocean near the Maldives about 10 minutes later. This is the second CZ-5B launch; the core stage reentries from these launches are the largest deliberate uncontrolled reentries in over 30 years. Other rockets with large core stages are designed to avoid leaving the stages in orbit. The previous CZ-5B reentry resulted in tons of metal slamming into the ground in the Ivory Coast, fortunately causing only limited damage to buildings but understandably scaring quite a few people. I consider the decision of CALT to design the CZ-5B to leave a 21t inert core stage in low orbit on each launch to be negligent, and a contrast to the standard practice of other space agencies. Starlink --------- 60 more Starlinks were launched from Cape Canaveral on Apr 29. The Falcon 9 first stage landed on the JRTI droneship. Another 60 were launched on May 4 from Kennedy Space Center, with the first stage landing on OCISLY. A further 60 were launched on May 9 from Cape Canaveral, with the first stage (B1051 on a record tenth flight) landing on JRTI. Yaogan 34 and 30-08 ------------------- China launched the Yaogan 34 satellite on Apr 30 to a 1000 km orbit, The orbital height and orbital plane of the satellite is matched to the three Yaogan 31 group 02 satellites. On May 6 China launched three Yaogan-30 signals intelligence satellites, Group 8 nos, 1-3. The Guodian Gaokeji commercial communications satellite Tianqi-12 was carreid as a secondary payload. Ingenuity --------- The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter made its third flight on Apr 25 at 0831 UTC. It reached 5m altitude and went 50m downrange, then returned to its starting point and landed after an 81s flight. Flight 4, at 1439 UTC Apr 30, went 133m south and returned, also at 5 m altitude, in a 117 second flight. Table of Recent Orbital Launches ---------------------------------- Date UT Name Launch Vehicle Site Mission INTL. Catalog Perigee Apogee Incl Notes Apr 6 2100? Jackie (AC-10a Probe 5) AC-10a, LEO Calib 19-022P 462 x 475 x 51.6 Apr 7 1634 Starlink 2048 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 27A S48092 261 x 280 x 53.0 Starlink 2404 Starlink 2412 Starlink 2414 Starlink 2417-2418 Starlink 2421 Starlink 2428 Starlink 2430 Starlink 2436-2440 Starlink 2442-2445 Starlink 2447-2452 Starlink 2454-2455 Starlink 2458-2460 Starlink 2462-2469 Starlink 2471-2476 Starlink 2478-2493 Starlink 2503 Apr 8 2301 Shiyan 6-03 Chang Zheng 4B Taiyuan Imaging? 28A S48157 992 x 1001 x 99.5 Apr 9 0742 Soyuz MS-18 Soyuz-2-1a Baykonur Spaceship 29A S48159 192 x 228 x 51.6 Apr 23 0949 Endeavour (SpX Crew-2) Falcon 9 Kennedy LC39A Spaceship 30A S48209 210 x 228 x 51.6 Apr 25 2214 OneWeb SL0165 ) OneWeb SL0176 ) Soyuz Vostochniy PU1S Comms 31 443 x 454 x 87.4 OneWeb SL0179-189) OneWeb SL0191-209) OneWeb SL0217-220) Apr 26 2047 USA 314 Delta 4H Vandenberg SLC6 Imaging 32A S48246? 525 x 758 x 98.0 Apr 27 0320 Qilu-1 ) Radar 33 496 x 510 x 97.4 Qilu-4 ) Chang Zheng 6 Taiyuan LC16 Imaging 33 Foshan-1 ) Imaging 33 Zhongan Guotong 1) Imaging 33 Tianqi 09 ) Comms 33 NEO-1 ) Tech 33 Taijing 2-01 ) Imaging 33 Jin Zijing 1-01 ) Imaging 33 Jin Zijing 1-02 ) Imaging 33 Apr 29 0150 Pleiades Neo 3 ) Vega CSG ZLV Imaging 34A NorSat-3 ) Com (AIS) 34B S48269? 609 x 614 x 97.8 AII Bravo ) Sigint 34 Lemur 2161 ) Com/Met 34 Lemur 2162 ) Com/Met 34 ELO Alpha ) Com 34 Apr 29 0323 Tianhe Chang Zheng 5B Wenchang LC101 Station 35A S48274 170 x 382 x 41.5 Apr 29 0344 Starlink 2029 Falcon 9 Canaveral SLC40 Com 36A-BM 257 x 282 x 53.0 Starlink 2061 Starlink 2441 Starlink 2457 Starlink 2470 Starlink 2477 Starlink 2495 Starlink 2498 Starlink 2501-2502 Starlink 2504 Starlink 2506-2507 Starlink 2509-2520 Starlink 2523-2524 Starlink 2527-2528 Starlink 2530 Starlink 2532-2538 Starlink 2540-2550 Starlink 2555-2559 Starlink 2562 Starlink 2564-2567 Starlink 2569 Starlink 2580 Apr 30 0727 Yaogan 34 Chang Zheng 4C Jiuquan Imaging? 37A S48341 1092 x 1095 x 63.4 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 Table of Recent Suborbital Launches ----------------------------------- Date UT Payload/Flt Name Launch Vehicle Site Mission Apogee/km Target Feb 3 RV Ghaznavi Somniani? Test 80? Arabian Sea? Feb 4 ABM Target B-611? Taiyuan Test 200? Urumqi Feb 4 Interceptor DF-21? Urumqi? Interceptor 100? Takla Makan Feb 5 0905 OS-X6B OS-X6B Jiuquan? Test 300 Jiuquan? Feb 9 2330 USN RV Trident II Sub, 76W 28N Op. Test 1000? S Atlantic Feb 24 0749 GT237GM Minuteman III Vandenberg LF10 Op. Test 1300? Kwajalein Feb 27 HE RV Zulfiqar Sanaa? Weapon 150? Riyadh Mar 3 Chem. release Terr.Terr.Oriole Wallops Ionosphere 300? Atlantic Mar 12 1345 SOUREX RH-560 Mk III Satish Dhawan Atmosphere 300? Bay of Bengal 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 .-------------------------------------------------------------------------. | Jonathan McDowell | | | Somerville MA 02143 | inter : planet4589 at gmail | | USA | twitter: @planet4589 | | | | JSR: https://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html | | Back issues: https://www.planet4589.org/space/jsr/back | | Subscribe/unsub: https://www.planet4589.org/mailman/listinfo/jsr | '-------------------------------------------------------------------------'