Jonathan's Space Report No. 822 2023 Jul 29 Somerville, MA ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- International Space Station --------------------------- Expedition 69 continues. The Dragon CRS-28 cargo ship undocked at 1630 UTC Jun 29. The trunk was jettisoned into a 252 x 394 km orbit; the cabin splashed down at 1430 UTC Jun 30 near 80.2W 30.9N, the Jacksonville recovery area. On Jul 3 at 1735 UTC the IROSA FSE package from the 1A/1B IROSA array installation work was jettisoned into orbit from the MBS POA. On Jul 4 at 2117 UTC Progress MS-22 fired its engines to reboost the ISS orbit. The burn lasted 1130 s and had a delta-V of 1.9 m/s. On Jul 6 between 0955 and 1140 UTC, six cubesats were deployed from the NRCSD-26 deployer extracted from the Kibo module. One, Moonlighter, is a US Space Force experiment; the others were for Canadian universities. On Jul 19 at 0700 UTC, two 1U cubesats from the U. of the Phillipines Diliman were deployed from the J-SSOD-26 deployer. Chinese Space Station ---------------------- On Jul 20 astronauts Jing and Zhu carried out an 8 hour spacewalk, and installed some external cameras. Soyuz rideshare --------------- On Jun 27 a Soyuz-2-1B/Fregat launch from Vostochniy placed the Meteor-M 2-3 weather sat in an 800 km orbit. The Fregat then made two further burns to lower orbit and released a cluster of cubesats and the first three Rassvet-1 internet relay satellites for the Moscow company Byuro 1440. Starlink -------- Starlink Group 5-13 (48 sats) was launched from Vandenberg on Jul 7. Starlink Group 6-5 (22 sats) was launched from Canaveral on Jul 10. Starlink Group 5-15 (54 sats) was launched from Canaveral on Jul 16. Starlink Group 6-15 (15 sats) was launched from Vandenberg on Jul 20. Starlink Group 6-6 (22 sats) was launched from Canaveral on Jul 24. Starlink Group 6-7 (22 sats) was launched from Canaveral on Jul 28. Euclid ------- ESA's Euclid space telescope was launched on Jul 1. The 1.2m telescope will measure photometric and spectroscopic redshifts for a very large number of galaxies, and perform weak lensing measurements to determine galaxy masses. The Falcon 9 launch vehicle placed it on a transfer trajectory to Sun-Earth L2. Ariane VA261 ------------ VA261, the final flight of the Ariane 5 rocket, was successfully carried out on Jul 5. The Ariane L5119 rocket placed two communications satellites in geotransfer orbit. The Heinrich-Hertz-Satellit is a 3408 kg experimental communications satellite for Germany's DLR using OHB's SmallGeo bus with Ku and Ka band payloads. Syracuse 4B is a military communications satellite for France's DGA with X and Ka band payloads and a launch mass of 3572 kg. CALT launches ------------- China's CALT launched a Chang Zheng 2C rocket from Jiuquan at 1100 UTC Jul 9, placing two experimental communications sats in an 1100 km, 86.5 deg orbit. The press release announced the launch of a 'Satellite Internet Technology Test Satellite', Weixing Hulianwang Jishu Shiyan Weixing. The YZ-1S upper stage made a further burn to lower perigee and was tracked in a 117 x 1063 km x 86.4 deg orbit before reentering on Jul 22. SAST launches ------------- China's SAST launched a Chang Zheng 2D from Taiyuan on Jul 23 with four payloads. Lingxi-03 is a Yinhe Hangtian (Galaxy Space) flat-panel X/V-band LEO communications test satellite (earlier Yinhe satellites looked like copies of OneWeb, this one looks like Starlink). Sixiang-1 to 3 are remote sensing satellites for Sixiang Aishu Keji YG. SAST launched a CZ-2D from Xichang on Jul 26 with three more Yaogan 36 military satellites, probably for signals intelligence. Zhuque-2 --------- China's LANDSPACE launched the second Zhuque-2 on Jul 12. The rocket placed a dummy payload in polar orbit. This launch marks the first methalox rocket to successfully reach orbit. EXPACE launches --------------- EXPACE launched a KZ-1A on Jul 20 with four more Tianmu-1 satellites for GNSS-RO meteorology. Gushenxing launch ------------------ Galactic Energy launched Gushenxing-1 no. Y6 from Jiuquan on Jul 22. The main payload was the 200 kg Qiankun-1 test satellite for Saisi Besi Zhineng Keji YG, marketed in English as C-Space. The satellite carries a hyperspectral imager. The Xingshidai-16 satellite for ADA Space (Guoxing Yuhang Keji) was also aboard. Hwasong-18 ---------- The second Hwasong-18 missile launch, on Jul 12, flew a high apogee trajectory very similar to earlier Hwasong-17 missions. It reached an apogee of 6648 km and a ground range of 1001 km. Flight time was 74 minutes. Because the total energy of the trajectory is comparable to orbital energy, I have given it a special 'U' designation, 2023-U03, and included it in the list of near-orbital flights. Chandrayaan-3 ------------- ISRO's third lunar mission was launched from Sriharikota on Jul 14. The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft consists of an orbiter (designated the Propulsion Module, PM), a lander, and a small rover. The assembly was placed in geotransfer orbit. The PM will propel the vehicle to low lunar orbit. The lander will then separate and land near the crater Manzinus U, close to the lunar south pole. Mass of the lander is 1724 kg, the PM is 2145 kg, and the rover is 26 kg. On Jul 25 the probe had reached a 247 x 127067 km x 21.3 deg orbit, and was preparing for the translunar insertion burn on Jul 31. Electron 39 ----------- Rocket Lab launched an Electron from Mahia on Jul 18. The second stage reached a 200 x 579 km x 99.5 deg orbit. The kick stage then fired to 566 x 585 km x 99.5 deg, and deployed 4 Starling 6U cubesats for NASA-Ames and 2 Lemur 3U cubesats for Spire Global. The stage then made two more burns and deployed Telesat's LEO-3 communications test satellite in a 995 x 1019 km x 99.4 deg orbit. A final kick stage burn lowered to stage's orbit to 427 x 1013 km, reducing its orbital lifetime as space junk. Falcon Heavy ------------ FH-007 took off from Kennedy Space Center's LC39A on Jul 29, carrying the 9200 kg Jupiter-3 satellite (also called Echostar 24) for Echostar Hughes Network Systems. Jupiter-3 is the most massive commercial communications satellite to date; it was placed in an 8001 x 35504 km x 10.4 deg geotransfer orbit. Errata ------- In the last issue: SATTLA-2I should be SATLLA-2I. Aryis should be Ayris; they are rumoured to be Israeli signals intelligence payloads. Xingshidai-16 was not aboard the Jun 7 launch. Table of Recent Orbital Launches ---------------------------------- Date UT Name Launch Vehicle Site Mission INTL. Catalog Perigee Apogee Incl Notes Jun 4 1220 Starlink Group 6-4 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 79A 314 x 321 x 43.0 Jun 5 1547 Dragon CRS-28 Falcon 9 Kennedy LC39A Cargo 80A 403 x 407 x 51.7 Jun 7 0410 Fucheng-1 Lijian-1 Jiuquan Radar 81 491 x 512 x 97.4 Shiyan-24A Tech 81 Shiyan-24B Tech 81 Xi'an Hangtou 8 Imaging? 81 22 unknown payloads Unknown 81 Jun 9 0235 Longjiang-3 Kuaizhou-1A Jiuquan Comms 82A 490 x 500 x 49.1 Jun 12 0710 Starlink Group 5-11 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 83 297 x 338 x 43.0 Jun 12 2135 Transporter 8 Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Tug 84 520 x 534 x 97.5 Jun 12 2350? Otter Pup Orbiter SN3, LEO Tech 84 Jun 15 0530 Jilin-1 GF03D-19 to 26 Chang Zheng 2D Taiyuan Imaging 85 532 x 548 x 97.5 Jilin-1 GF06A 01 to 30 Imaging 85 Jilin-1 PT02A 01 to 02 Imaging 85 Huoerguosi-1 Imaging 85 Jun 18 2221 SATRIA Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 86A 545 x 51670 x 27.9 Jun 20 0318 Shiyan 25 Chang Zheng 6 Taiyuan Imaging 87A 306 x 321 x 96.6 Jun 20? Outpost M1 ION 11, LEO Tech 84 Jun 21 1050 Istanbul ION 11, LEO Tech 84 SATTLA-2I Tech 84 Unicorn-2I Imaging 84 Jun 22 0719 Starlink Group 5-7 Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Comms 88 228 x 334 x 43.0 Jun 22 0918 USA 345 Delta 4H Canaveral SLC37B Sigint 89A 35800 x 35800 x 0? Jun 22 1210 ROM-2 ION 11, LEO Tech 84 MRC-100 Tech 84 URESAT Tech 84 Jun 23 1535 Starlink Group 5-12 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 90 297 x 338 x 43.0 Jun 25? Spei Satelles ION 11, LEO Edu 84 Jun 27 1134 Meteor-M 2-3 Soyuz-2-1b/Fregat Vostochniy Weather 91A 909 x 816 x 98.8 Zorkiy-2M Tech 91 544 x 563 x 97.7 Svyatobor-1 VIZARD-Meteo SITRO-AIS-5 to -12 CubeSX-HSE-3 Stratosat-TK-1 Akhmat-1 Rassvet-1 1 to 3 PHI-DEMO A-SEANSAT-PG1 CubeBel-2 ArcCube-1 Monitor-2 to -4 Nanozond-1 UmKA-1 KuzGTU-1 ReshUCube-2 Sirius-SINP-3U Polytech-Universe-3 UTMN-2 CSTP-1.1 and 1.2 Avion-Kaluga-650 Yarilo-3 and 4 Khors No. 1 and 2 Norbi-2 Impul's-1 SAMSAT-ION SATURN Jul 1 1212? Euclid Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Astron 92A 200? x 1500000? x 36? Jul 5 2200 Heinrich-Hertz-Satellit Ariane 5ECA Kourou ELA3 Comms 93 261 x 35672 x 3.0 Syracuse 4B Comms 93 Jul 6 0955 SC-ODIN ISS, LEO Sci 98067 Jul 6 1005 Moonlighter ISS, LEO Tech 98067 Jul 6 1130 RADSAT-SK ISS, LEO Sci 98067 Ukpik-1 Tech 98067 Jul 6 1140 Iris ISS, LEO Tech 98067 ESSENCE Tech 98067 Jul 7 1929 Starlink Group 5-13 Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Comms 94 Jul 9 1100 WHJSW Chang Zheng 2C/YZ-1S Jiuquan Comms 95A 1095 x 1116 x 86.5 Jul 10 0358 Starlink Group 6-5 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 96 297 x 338 x 43.0 Jul 12 0059 Hwasong-18 RV Hwasong-18 Chongdong Test U03 -6258? x 6648 x 42 Jul 12 0100 Dummy payload Zhuque-2 Jiuquan Tech 97A 431 X 461 X 97.3 Jul 14 0905 Chandrayaan-3 LVM3 Satish Dhawan Lunar 98A 139 x 36307 x 21.3 Jul 16 0350 Starlink Group 5-15 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 99A 297 x 337 x 43.0 Jul 18 0127 LEO-3 Electron Mahia LC1B Comms 100G 995 x 1019 x 99.4 Starling-1 Tech 100A? 566 x 585 x 99.5 Starling-2 Tech 100B? 566 x 585 x 99.5 Starling-3 Tech 100C? 566 x 585 x 99.5 Starling-4 Tech 100D? 566 x 585 x 99.5 Lemur AIS/GRO 100E? 566 x 585 x 99.5 Lemur AIS/GRO 100F? 566 x 585 x 99.5 Jul 19 0700 Maya-5 ISS, LEO Comms 98067VW 412 x 416 x 51.6 Maya-6 Comms 98067VX 412 x 416 x 51.6 Jul 20 0320 Tianmu 1-07 Kuaizhou-1A Jiuquan Met 101A 516 x 529 x 97.4 Tianmu 1-08 Met 101B Tianmu 1-09 Met 101C Tianmu 1-10 Met 101D Jul 20 0409 Starlink Group 6-15 Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Comms 102A 284 x 312 x 43.0 Jul 22 0507 Qiankun-1 Gushenxing-1 Jiuquan Imaging 103A 485 x 502 x 96.6 Xingshidai-16 Imaging 103B 485 x 502 x 96.6 Jul 23 0250 Sixiang-1 Chang Zheng 2D Taiyuan Radar 104 488 x 504 x 97.4 Sixiang-2 Imaging 104 Sixiang-3 Imaging 104 Lingxi-03 Comms 104 Jul 24 0050 Starlink Group 6-6 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 105 293 x 302 x 43.0 Jul 26 2002 Yaogan 36-05-01 Chang Zheng 2D Xichang Sigint 106A 488 x 501 x 35.0 Yaogan 36-05-02 Sigint 106B 488 x 501 x 35.0 Yaogan 36-05-03 Sigint 106C 488 x 501 x 35.0 Jul 28 0401 Starlink Group 6-7 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 107 304 x 321 x 43.0 Jul 29 0304 Jupiter 3 Falcon Heavy Kennedy LC39A Comms 108A 8001 x 35504 x 10.4 Table of Recent Suborbital Launches ----------------------------------- Virgin Galactic's Galactic 01 mission was carried out on Jun 29. Carrier plane takeoff 1426 UTC, Spaceship 2 Unity drop 1528:38 UTC over 107.0W 33.3N (Elephant Butte location P3), apogee 85.1 km, touchdown at 1542:38 UTC. Aboard were: Pilot Mike Masucci, copilot Nicola Pecile, astronaut instructor Colin Bennet (all Virgin Galactic); Col. Walter Villadei, LtCol Dr. Angelo Landolfi (both Ital. AF) and Pantaleone Carlucci (CNR Italy) Date UT Payload/Flt Name Launch Vehicle Site Mission Apogee/km Target Jun 18 0125 DYNAMO-A HASTE Wallops I. LA0C Hypersonic 300?? Atlantic Jun 26 2000 V-MAX Terr.Terr.Oriole? Landes SUD-1 Hypersonic 200?? Atlantic Jun 29 1528 Galactic 01 Spaceship Two Spaceport America Spaceship 85 Spaceport America Jul 24 1454 KN-? KN-? N Korea Test 100 Sea of Japan Jul 24 1459 KN-? KN-? N Korea Test 100 Sea of Japan .-------------------------------------------------------------------------. | 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 | '-------------------------------------------------------------------------'