Space Brief 12 Nov 2024
Latest updates include China's Lijian-1 launching 15 satellites, a fiery Starlink reentry, SpaceX's milestone Falcon 9 booster landing, and China's support for its commercial space sector.
SL-6 R/B(2) (11553)
COSPAR: 1979-004D | Alt Name: Blok-L
DECAYED
Image
Additional Sources
Launch Details
Launch Date
January 18, 1979
Launch Site
PLMSC
Launch Pad
LC43/4
Launch Vehicle
Molniya 8K78M
Orbital Elements
NORAD ID
11553
International Designator
1979-004D
Decay Date
5/8/1999
Basic Satellite Info
Name
SL-6 R/B(2)
Alternative Name
Blok-L
Type
Rocket Body
Status
Space Junk
Owner
RVSN
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
2.7
Diameter
2.5
Span
2.7
Dry Mass
1000
Launch Mass
4500
Shape
Cyl
Radar Cross Section
7.1614
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Technical Details
Payload
Blok-L
Purpose
Unknown
Mission
Unknown
Manufacturer
NPOE
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
Blok-L
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.
The Day Humanity Gained New Eyes on the Universe
Forty-seven years ago, a revolutionary space telescope changed our view of the cosmos, pioneering international cooperation in space-based astronomy
Space Brief 29 Nov 2025
Today's Space Brief covers a Soyuz launch mishap that damaged Baikonur pad, Varda Space's AFRL test flights, ION vehicles aboard SpaceX Transporter-15, and more.
The Day We First Landed on Venus
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.
X Report 14 Jul 2025
SpaceX successfully launched the Dror 1 satellite for Israel Aerospace Industries, marking another step forward in their launch capabilities.
X Report 25 May 2025
SpaceX addresses the cause of its recent Starship Flight 8 explosion, while successfully launching 23 more Starlink satellites as it continues to expand its constellation.
Starship Florida Launch Targeting 2026 | KeepTrack X Report
SpaceX is pushing to launch Starship from Cape Canaveral before end of 2026, with contractors ramping work at LC-39A.
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.