Saltzman's Final Warning: Space Force Preps for War | KeepTrack Space Brief
Gen. Chance Saltzman warns of impending space conflict as SpaceX launches 21 SDA satellites from Vandenberg. Space Force shifts from support role to core deterrent.
Launch Date
May 8, 1985
Launch Site
FRGUI
Launch Pad
ELA1
Launch Vehicle
Ariane 3
NORAD ID
15678
International Designator
1985-035B
Epoch
Thu, 02 Jul 2026 05:13:52 GMT
Apogee
Calculating...
Perigee
Calculating...
Inclination
10.11°
Right Ascension
320.83°
Eccentricity
Calculating...
Argument of Perigee
338.35°
Period
1435.28 min
Mean Motion
1.00 rev/day
Latitude
Calculating...
Longitude
Calculating...
Altitude
Calculating...
Velocity
Calculating...
Name
TELECOM 1B
Alternative Name
Telecom 1B
Type
Status
Owner
FTEL
Country
France
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
1 15678U 85035B 26183.21796852 -.00000257 00000-0 00000+0 0 9992
2 15678 10.1149 320.8331 0000892 338.3481 18.2698 1.00328810137169
Source: Celestrak
Length
3
Diameter
1.4
Span
16
Dry Mass
525
Launch Mass
664
Shape
Box + 2 Pan
Radar Cross Section
2.5119
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
Telecom 1B
Purpose
Communication
Mission
Communication
Manufacturer
MATT
Life Expectancy
7 years
Bus
ECS
Configuration
ECS-Bus
Motor
Mage 2
Equipment
6 (+3) Ku-band transponder, 4 (+2) C-band transponder, 2 X-band transponder
Power System
2 deployable solar arrays, batteries
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
Gen. Chance Saltzman warns of impending space conflict as SpaceX launches 21 SDA satellites from Vandenberg. Space Force shifts from support role to core deterrent.
SpaceX gears up for distinctive Starship tests and milestone Starlink deployments as the new year takes off.
SpaceX launches a doubleheader of satellites while Blue Origin prepares for a historic all-female spaceflight. Also, meet FORMOSAT-5 in our Satellite Spotlight.
NASA demands Blue Origin find alternate launcher for Artemis moon landers after New Glenn test explosion damaged Cape Canaveral LC-36. Schedule risk to lunar missions.
Discover key developments in space defense and military operations, including new leadership for Space Force's 'Golden Dome,' SpaceX's contract for a military SATCOM network, and increased Israeli-Iranian missile activity.
On April 14, 1958, Sputnik 2 burned up over the North Atlantic, carrying the remains of a stray dog from Moscow who had been dead for five months. The Soviet Union told the world she survived for days. It took forty-five years for the truth to come out.
Anticipated NISAR launch now scheduled for March 2025; Rivada persists in broadband constellation quest despite setbacks; SpaceX scrubbed RRT-1 launch holds mystery.
Booster B1067 hit 36 flights on July 9, while SpaceX files to expand Starlink to 100,000 satellites at 4,400 lbs each.