Santa Maria Spaceport (Azores)
Europe's Atlantic outpost enters the launch business. How Portugal's first licensed spaceport in the Azores is preparing for suborbital flights in 2026 and positioning to receive ESA's Space Rider in 2028.
Launch Date
April 6, 1965
Launch Site
Launch Pad
LC17A
Launch Vehicle
Thor Delta D
NORAD ID
01318
International Designator
1965-028B
Epoch
Fri, 03 Jul 2026 22:30:01 GMT
Apogee
Calculating...
Perigee
Calculating...
Inclination
17.68°
Right Ascension
261.39°
Eccentricity
Calculating...
Argument of Perigee
159.58°
Period
679.80 min
Mean Motion
2.12 rev/day
Latitude
Calculating...
Longitude
Calculating...
Altitude
Calculating...
Velocity
Calculating...
Name
DELTA 1 R/B(2)
Alternative Name
Delta 30 Stage 3
Type
Status
Owner
GSFC
Country
United States
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
1 01318U 65028B 26184.93752112 -.00000093 00000-0 00000-0 0 9998
2 01318 17.6836 261.3947 6945926 159.5825 359.3735 2.11827090107681
Source: Celestrak
Length
1.5
Diameter
0.5
Span
1.5
Dry Mass
33
Launch Mass
33
Shape
Cyl
Radar Cross Section
0.7515
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
Altair 2 X-258C4 RH-83
Purpose
Unknown
Mission
Unknown
Manufacturer
ABL
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
Altair
Configuration
Unknown
Motor
Unknown
Equipment
Unknown
Power System
Unknown
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
Europe's Atlantic outpost enters the launch business. How Portugal's first licensed spaceport in the Azores is preparing for suborbital flights in 2026 and positioning to receive ESA's Space Rider in 2028.
SpaceX's Starlink 17-40 mission launches 24 satellites from Vandenberg SFB at 7:36 a.m. PDT, expanding the 10,705-satellite constellation.
Highlights include significant advances in satellite refueling experiments, a key design milestone for missile defense, and a feature on the satellite Cosmos 2246.
SpaceX's Starlink constellation has grown at an astonishing rate, now accounting for over 20% of all trackable objects in orbit. With plans for tens of thousands more, Starlink is on the cusp of forever changing the landscape of Earth's near-space environment.
Today's Space Brief covers reentries, the impact of NOAA dismissals on space weather tracking, a strategic academic partnership probing cosmic mysteries, and a newly unveiled space motto.
Today's briefing covers the Long March 12A's first launch, a major advance in space radio communication, and highlights from key military developments impacting space operations.
SpaceX gears up for new Starlink shell deployment and secures updated licensing for Starship, amidst ongoing preparations for Falcon 9 launches.
SpaceX continues to make strides with successful satellite launches and competitive maneuvering in the direct-to-device market, as AST SpaceMobile aligns with Verizon for space-based cellular services.