Space Brief 8 Dec 2025
Today's edition covers SpaceX scrubbing and successfully launching Starlink satellites, AI innovations in spacecraft propulsion, and the impact of SPHERE's debris disk survey in discovering hidden asteroid belts.
Launch Date
December 9, 1976
Launch Site
PLMSC
Launch Pad
LC132/2
Launch Vehicle
Kosmos 11K65M
NORAD ID
11180
International Designator
1976-120F
Decay Date
2/25/1979
Name
COSMOS 880 DEB
Alternative Name
deb Kosmos-880
Type
Status
Owner
PVO
Country
USSR
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
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
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
Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
Today's edition covers SpaceX scrubbing and successfully launching Starlink satellites, AI innovations in spacecraft propulsion, and the impact of SPHERE's debris disk survey in discovering hidden asteroid belts.
Starlink satellites in orbit May 2026: 10,374, with 10,358 working. Mission 17-29 lifts 24 more from Vandenberg and a satellite films the Starlink train.
A week of highs and lows for SpaceX, including weather-related delays and a return to Falcon launches.
On April 27, 1961, a Scout rocket lifted a 37-kilogram NASA satellite into orbit from Wallops Island carrying the first serious instrument for detecting cosmic gamma rays. Explorer 11 operated for seven months before its tape recorder failed. In that time it registered 22 gamma-ray photons - a pitiful number by modern standards, but enough to launch an entire branch of astronomy.
SpaceX executes dual Starlink launches and secures Dragonfly mission contract while managing NRO satellite deployment.
SpaceX continues to make headlines with successful launches and advancements in satellite technology. Notably, a Falcon 9 rocket delivered an upgraded Cygnus spacecraft to the ISS amid a busy launch schedule this week.
SpaceX's Falcon Heavy targets a second launch attempt for ViaSat-3 F3, while Artemis III slips to late 2027 and Musk earns a Mars milestone bonus.
This week's highlights include the successful launch of the X-37B spaceplane and the deployment of 24 new Starlink satellites, alongside preparations for the upcoming Starship Flight 10.