Space Brief 23 Sep 2025
Explore the latest in satellite launches and space reconnaissance as Lockheed Martin, SpaceX, and military entities push forward with innovative missions. A new propulsion clean room marks growth in satellite tech.
WESTFORD NEEDLES (05997)
COSPAR: 1963-014DD | Alt Name: West Ford dipoles
DECAYED
Image
Additional Sources
Launch Details
Launch Date
May 9, 1963
Launch Site
AFWTR
Launch Pad
LC1-2
Launch Vehicle
Atlas Agena B
Orbital Elements
NORAD ID
05997
International Designator
1963-014DD
Decay Date
11/21/1973
Explore in the Catalog
Basic Satellite Info
Name
WESTFORD NEEDLES
Alternative Name
West Ford dipoles
Type
Debris
Status
Space Junk
Owner
AFSSD
Country
United States
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
Summary
Space debris, also known as space junk, encompasses all non-functional objects orbiting Earth such as defunct satellites, spent rocket stages, and fragments from collisions or disintegrations. Over time, this debris can accumulate and create an increasingly hazardous environment in orbit. Even tiny fragments, traveling at extremely high velocities, can inflict significant damage on operational satellites and spacecraft. If left unmanaged, the density of debris raises the risk of catastrophic collisions and further fragmentation, compounding the problem and threatening the safety and sustainability of space activities.
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
Unknown
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.
X Report 13 Jan 2025
SpaceX gears up for a series of launches, including Starlink deployments, lunar missions, and updates on the Starship program.
Blue Origin's New Glenn Gantry Damaged; SpaceX Wins $4.16B Space Force Contract | KeepTrack Space Brief
Blue Origin's LC-36 gantry damaged in blast; CEO targets end-2026 return. SpaceX awarded $4.16B Space Force contract for airborne threat tracking satellites.
108 Minutes That Changed Everything - and the 20-Year Echo That Followed
On April 12, 1961, a 27-year-old Soviet pilot rode a modified ICBM into orbit and came back alive after 108 minutes. Exactly twenty years later, two Americans climbed aboard an untested spacecraft covered in 31,000 ceramic tiles and bet their lives that the math was right.
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.
X Report 3 Jun 2025
SpaceX gears up for an exciting week with multiple launches, including a crewed mission and the rescheduled Starlink delivery. Meanwhile, ULA faces criticism from the Space Force over delays in its Vulcan rocket program.
Space Brief 21 Oct 2024
Today's Space Brief covers SpaceX's recent launch for OneWeb, advances in remote-control robots for lunar missions, the power loss of Intelsat 33e, and developments in inflatable space habitats.
X Report 24 Jun 2025
SpaceX successfully launched the Transporter-14 mission, adding multiple payloads, including Canadian satellites and a memorial capsule, while Starlink expands its services in Vietnam and enhances T-Mobile's reach.