Space Brief 23 Oct 2024
Today's brief shines a light on surging space debris due to a new satellite breakup, SpaceX's continuous Starlink expansions, and notable legal support for Elon Musk's launch endeavors.
OPS 7044 (VELA 12) (04366)
COSPAR: 1970-027A | Alt Name: Vela VI-A
Image
Additional Sources
Launch Details
Launch Date
April 8, 1970
Launch Site
Launch Pad
LC40
Launch Vehicle
Titan IIIC
Orbital Elements
NORAD ID
04366
International Designator
1970-027A
Epoch
Wed, 11 Jun 2025 21:23:16 GMT
Apogee
Calculating...
Perigee
Calculating...
Inclination
87.60°
Right Ascension
0.99°
Eccentricity
Calculating...
Argument of Perigee
72.34°
Period
6711.16 min
Mean Motion
0.21 rev/day
Latitude
Calculating...
Longitude
Calculating...
Altitude
Calculating...
Velocity
Calculating...
Polar Plot
3D Visualization
Explore in the Catalog
Basic Satellite Info
Name
OPS 7044 (VELA 12)
Alternative Name
Vela VI-A
Type
Payload
Status
Unknown
Owner
SAMSO
Country
United States
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
Latest TLEs
1 04366U 70027A 25162.89116126 -.00000305 00000+0 00000+0 0 9992
2 04366 87.5969 0.9935 7753526 72.3352 1.1488 00.21456810 40573
Source: Celestrak
Summary
Apologies, there is no summary for this satellite yet. I am working to generate these for every object in the catalog, but it is going to take time.
Physical Characteristics
Length
1.3
Diameter
1.3
Span
1.3
Dry Mass
252
Launch Mass
252
Shape
Poly
Radar Cross Section
0.003
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Technical Details
Payload
Vela 6A
Purpose
Unknown
Mission
Unknown
Manufacturer
TRW
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
Vela
Configuration
Unknown
Motor
BE-3A7
Equipment
Unknown
Power System
Unknown
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
Map
Next Pass
Azimuth Elevation Time (Local)
Start Azimuth
Max Elevation
Stop Azimuth
Time Until
Pass Duration
Satellite Articles
View All Posts »Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
Space Brief 23 Aug 2024
Sentinel-2C sealed in Vega rocket fairing, ULA sale tidbit, Polaris Dawn mission updates, Norway's Andøya Spaceport ready for action, Harris commits to space leadership, NASA's latest smallsat launch partners, new members join NASA composite initiative, Mynaric's manufacturing hiccups, Rocket Factory Augsburg's turbopump snag, and Amazon boosts satellite deployment infrastructure.
SpaceX Stock Jumps 19% on Nasdaq Debut, X Report 15 Jun 2026
SpaceX stock surged 19% on its Nasdaq debut as Musk targets $1 trillion revenue by 2030. Starlink 17-54 marks the 1,500th satellite launched in 2026.
Space Brief 16 Sep 2025
Today's brief highlights the impact of military spending and technology competition on the space economy, new satellite connectivity partnerships, and defense spending pledges in Europe.
X Report 15 Dec 2025
SpaceX made significant strides in satellite deployment with successful launches of 27 and 29 Starlink satellites, marking both a milestone in landings and ongoing expansion of the Starlink constellation.
NLRB Drops SpaceX Oversight Case, Booster 19 Tests Complete | KeepTrack X Report
US labor board drops oversight case against SpaceX. Booster 19 completes cryogenic testing at upgraded Massey's. SpaceX IPO expected to reshape space investment landscape.
Starship Flight 12 Debuts Ship V3 as SDA Reorganizes York Space | KeepTrack Space Brief
SpaceX's Starship Flight 12 debuts Ship 39 and Booster 19 on May 19, while York Space faces investor confusion as Space Force reorganizes the Space Development Agency.
SpaceX Starfall Reentry Capsule Makes Debut Flight | KeepTrack X Report
SpaceX's secretive Starfall reentry demo launched June 23 as Starmind AI constellation targets 1M orbital compute nodes.