The Day Humanity Broke Its Last Tether to Earth
Forty-one years ago, astronaut Bruce McCandless II became the first human to float completely free in space, pushing the boundaries of both technology and human courage
Launch Date
February 9, 1983
Launch Site
AFWTR
Launch Pad
SLC3E
Launch Vehicle
Atlas H
NORAD ID
13845
International Designator
1983-008F
Epoch
Sat, 04 Jul 2026 02:42:26 GMT
Apogee
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Perigee
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Inclination
63.31°
Right Ascension
331.20°
Eccentricity
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Argument of Perigee
136.02°
Period
104.45 min
Mean Motion
13.79 rev/day
Latitude
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Longitude
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Altitude
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Velocity
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Name
SSB
Alternative Name
SSB
Type
Status
Owner
NRO/NRL
Country
United States
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
1 13845U 83008F 26185.11280416 .00004765 00000-0 67898-3 0 9998
2 13845 63.3125 331.1958 0705761 136.0211 229.9274 13.78593268347239
Source: Celestrak
Length
0.9
Diameter
0.4
Span
10
Dry Mass
200
Launch Mass
200
Shape
Box + Ant
Radar Cross Section
Unknown
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
PARCAE 5 SSU 2
Purpose
Ocean Surveillance, ELINT
Mission
Ocean Surveillance, ELINT
Manufacturer
MM
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
NOSS SSU
Configuration
Gravity gradient stabilized
Motor
?
Equipment
?
Power System
4 deployable solar arrays, batteries
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
Forty-one years ago, astronaut Bruce McCandless II became the first human to float completely free in space, pushing the boundaries of both technology and human courage
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