How does Google Map's Satellite View Feature Work?
Learn which satellites take photos and why we can't get updates instantly.
SL-11 R/B(2) (05664)
COSPAR: 1971-106M | Alt Name: Kosmos-462 DU
DECAYED
Image
Additional Sources
Launch Details
Launch Date
December 3, 1971
Launch Site
Launch Pad
LC90/20
Launch Vehicle
Tsiklon-2
Orbital Elements
NORAD ID
05664
International Designator
1971-106M
Decay Date
12/11/1971
Explore in the Catalog
Basic Satellite Info
Name
SL-11 R/B(2)
Alternative Name
Kosmos-462 DU
Type
Rocket Body
Status
Space Junk
Owner
PKO
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
0
Diameter
0
Span
0
Dry Mass
0
Launch Mass
0
Shape
N/A
Radar Cross Section
Unknown
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Technical Details
Payload
Large debris
Purpose
Unknown
Mission
Unknown
Manufacturer
Unknown
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
Unknown
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.
Space Brief 11 Jun 2025
Today's Space Brief covers a major partnership in space tech distribution, China's orbital refueling preparations under U.S. scrutiny, recent U.S. defense budget reveals, and an exciting hyperspectral imagery release from Xplore.
First Graviton Detector Concept Proposed, Space Force Shelves R-GPS Program | KeepTrack Space Brief
Keck Foundation team proposes first-ever graviton detector concept. Space Force shelves Resilient GPS program. China advances Long March 12B reusable rocket with static fire test at Jiuquan.
SpaceX Launches First Block 2 BlueBirds for AST SpaceMobile | KeepTrack X Report
SpaceX delivered 3 Block 2 BlueBird satellites for AST SpaceMobile from Pad 40, advancing direct-to-cell broadband with 10,650 Starlink craft now active.
Falcon 9 Booster B1067 Flies Record 35th Time | KeepTrack X Report
Booster B1067 set a Falcon 9 reuse record on its 35th flight, lofting 29 Starlink satellites as SpaceX eyes three more launches this week.
Musk Addresses Orbital Data Center Crowding Fears | KeepTrack X Report
Elon Musk pushed back on orbital crowding concerns as SpaceX eyes data centers in space, with 10,584 Starlink satellites currently operational.
The Rocket That Refused to Sink
On April 18, 2014, a Falcon 9 first stage did something no orbital rocket had ever done before. It fired its engines on the way down, steered itself through the atmosphere using grid fins that did not yet exist, and touched the Atlantic Ocean softly enough to survive the impact. Nobody recovered it. The data was the whole point.
The Day a Car Started Its Journey to the Stars
Seven years ago, SpaceX revolutionized spaceflight by launching the most powerful operational rocket in the world, carrying with it a cherry-red Tesla Roadster that captured global imagination