Space Brief 3 Jul 2025
Today's coverage includes the cancellation of DARPA's DRACO nuclear propulsion project, global shifts in Earth observation strategy, and new developments in satellite technology and military collaborations.
Launch Date
April 24, 1970
Launch Site
KYMSC
Launch Pad
LC86/4
Launch Vehicle
Kosmos 11K63
NORAD ID
04381
International Designator
1970-035B
Decay Date
5/17/1970
Name
SL-7 R/B
Alternative Name
Kosmos-2 (N59) Stage 2
Type
Status
Owner
RVSN
Country
USSR
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
Length
8
Diameter
1.6
Span
8
Dry Mass
840
Launch Mass
840
Shape
Cyl
Radar Cross Section
Unknown
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
S1M
Purpose
Unknown
Mission
Unknown
Manufacturer
YUZH
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
S1
Configuration
Unknown
Motor
Unknown
Equipment
Unknown
Power System
Unknown
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
Today's coverage includes the cancellation of DARPA's DRACO nuclear propulsion project, global shifts in Earth observation strategy, and new developments in satellite technology and military collaborations.
Congress passes FY2026 spending bill reinstating NASA funding. Slingshot Aerospace wins $27M Space Force contract for AI satellite training. Portal Space selects Atomic-6 debris shield for 2026 mission.
SpaceX launches NROL-105 spy satellite from Vandenberg — first national security mission of 2026. Crew-11 astronauts arrive in Houston after historic first-ever ISS medical evacuation.
SpaceX readies Starlink 6-96 launch of 29 satellites from Cape Canaveral. Thermal Protection System evaluations underway at Starbase for next Starship prototypes. SpaceX IPO expected to reshape market.
On December 15, 1970, a battered Soviet probe accomplished something no spacecraft had done before - it survived landing on another world and lived to tell about it.
Key developments include China's Shijian 26 satellite launch, U.S. Space Force's BAE Systems contract for missile-tracking satellites, and military advancements in space systems.
Iran calls Kowsar 1.5 a private-sector farming satellite. Its 3.45-meter camera, its sun-synchronous orbit, and the Russian rocket that carried it point somewhere else entirely.
Space & Cyber Command disrupted Iran ops as US munition stockpiles drop. Space Force shifts to commercial ground stations & faces acquisition workforce gaps.