Space Brief 28 Oct 2025
Today's brief covers China's Gaofen-14 satellite launch, Europe's advancements in asteroid defense through GomSpace, and Russia's controversial Burevestnik missile test.
SL-6 R/B(1) (01966)
COSPAR: N/A | Alt Name: Molniya-M No. 49 Blok-I
DECAYED
Image
Additional Sources
Launch Details
Launch Date
January 31, 1966
Launch Site
Launch Pad
Unknown
Launch Vehicle
Unknown
Orbital Elements
NORAD ID
01966
International Designator
N/A
Decay Date
1/31/1966
Explore in the Catalog
Basic Satellite Info
Name
SL-6 R/B(1)
Alternative Name
Molniya-M No. 49 Blok-I
Type
Rocket Body
Status
Space Junk
Owner
RVSN
Country
USSR
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
Summary
A rocket body, also commonly referred to as an upper stage or spent rocket stage, is the structural shell left behind after a rocket has delivered its payload to orbit. These large and often heavy pieces of space hardware can remain in orbit for years, posing significant collision hazards as part of the growing space debris problem. If left uncontrolled, rocket bodies have the potential to reenter Earth's atmosphere unpredictably, which can lead to falling debris in populated areas. Additionally, they risk colliding with operational satellites or the International Space Station, creating more debris and putting human life at risk.
Physical Characteristics
Length
9.4
Diameter
2.7
Span
9.4
Dry Mass
2000
Launch Mass
2000
Shape
Cyl
Radar Cross Section
Unknown
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Technical Details
Payload
11S510
Purpose
Unknown
Mission
Unknown
Manufacturer
PROG
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
Blok-I
Configuration
Unknown
Motor
Unknown
Equipment
Unknown
Power System
Unknown
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
Satellite Articles
View All Posts »Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
The Pentagon's Mystery Spaceplane Takes Off
On April 22, 2010, an Atlas V lifted off from Cape Canaveral carrying a reusable robotic spaceplane so secret that the Air Force would not even confirm its mission duration. It came back 224 days later, lighter, quieter, and more operational than anyone outside Washington had expected. Fifteen years later, the X-37B is still flying, and the military still will not say what it does.
Astroscale Taps Isar for ELSA-M Debris Mission | KeepTrack Space Brief
Astroscale selects Isar Aerospace to launch ELSA-M, a commercial deorbit mission targeting defunct satellites in LEO. Over 20,000 trackable debris objects now in orbit.
LeoLabs and the Business of Watching Everything
A startup built on Cold War-era radar science now tracks 25,000 objects in orbit - and the Pentagon can't get enough of it. But can its radars really compete with the Space Surveillance Network?
X Report 16 Dec 2024
SpaceX announces SPHEREx launch date for February 2025, and Airbus completes delivery of Thuraya 4 satellite for upcoming launch.
X Report 23 Nov 2025
SpaceX continues its robust launch cadence with new Starlink deployments and faces challenges in Starship development following the recent damage to its prototype booster.
Space Brief 10 Mar 2025
Today's briefing covers significant events, including advancements in US missile warning systems, SpaceX's Florida Starship plans, a European rocket's success, and NASA's upcoming missions.
SpaceX Launches NROL-105 Spy Satellite, GE Validates Hypersonic Ramjet Engine | KeepTrack Space Brief
SpaceX launches NROL-105 spy satellite from Vandenberg in first national security mission of 2026. GE and Lockheed validate compact rotating detonation ramjet for hypersonic missiles.