GIOTTO (15875)

COSPAR: 1985-056A | Alt Name: Giotto

Image
GIOTTO Satellite Image
Additional Sources
Launch Details

Launch Date

July 2, 1985

Launch Site

FRGUI

Launch Pad

ELA1

Launch Vehicle

Ariane 1

Orbital Elements

NORAD ID

15875

International Designator

1985-056A

Epoch

Wed, 03 Jul 1985 17:08:54 GMT

Apogee

Calculating...

Perigee

Calculating...

Inclination

6.99°

Right Ascension

264.81°

Eccentricity

Calculating...

Argument of Perigee

178.00°

Period

631.54 min

Mean Motion

2.28 rev/day

Latitude

Calculating...

Longitude

Calculating...

Altitude

Calculating...

Velocity

Calculating...

Polar Plot
3D Visualization
Basic Satellite Info

Name

GIOTTO

Alternative Name

Giotto

Type

Payload

Status

Non-operational

Owner

ESA

Country

European Space Agency

Constellation

N/A

Related Satellites

Major Events

N/A

Latest TLEs
1 15875U 85056  A 85183.71452432  .00000000 +00000-0 +00000-0 0  9993
2 15875 006.9865 264.8091 7301153 177.9963 187.9371 02.28014901000029

Source: Celestrak

Summary
GIOTTO, also known as Giotto, is an ESA-owned satellite with the OBJECT_ID 1985-056A and NORAD_CAT_ID 15875. Launched on July 2, 1985, from ELA1 at FRGUI using an Ariane 1 launch vehicle, GIOTTO was designed for a comet flyby mission. The satellite is cylindrical in shape with dimensions of 2.9 meters in length and diameter, and weighs 476 kilograms dry and 545 kilograms at launch. It was manufactured by BAES and powered by solar cells and batteries. The spacecraft's primary purpose and mission were focused on the comet flyby, using Mage 1S motors for propulsion.
Physical Characteristics

Length

2.9

Diameter

1.9

Span

2.9

Dry Mass

476

Launch Mass

545

Shape

Cyl

Radar Cross Section

Unknown

Visual Magnitude

Unknown

Color

Unknown

Material Composition

Unknown

Technical Details

Payload

Giotto

Purpose

Comet flyby

Mission

Comet flyby

Manufacturer

BAES

Life Expectancy

Unknown

Bus

ESA Geos

Configuration

Unknown

Motor

Mage 1S

Equipment

Unknown

Power System

Solar cells, batteries

ADCS

Unknown

Transmitter Frequency

Unknown

Map
This tool will help you track the satellite's position and predict its upcoming passes over your location. Simply input the coordinates or click the geolocation button to get started.
Next Pass
Azimuth Elevation Time (Local)
Start Azimuth
Max Elevation
Stop Azimuth
Time Until
Pass Duration

Satellite Articles

View All Posts »

Learn more about satellites and other related topics.

X Report 28 Mar 2025

X Report 28 Mar 2025

SpaceX sees another successful Starlink launch and faces strategic contract discussions as NASA pivots to reliable Dragon missions.

Space Brief 30 Oct 2024

Space Brief 30 Oct 2024

Today's briefing covers China's successful Shenzhou 19 launch to the Tiangong space station, NASA's upcoming spacewalks plan after a spacesuit issue, and innovative propulsion research for space journeys.

Space Brief 18 Nov 2024

Space Brief 18 Nov 2024

Today's brief highlights a Starlink satellite launch, an OpTech optical sensor contract for the Space Force, and a unique STEM experiment involving space-flown seeds.

Falcon Heavy Returns | A Six-Ton Bet on Geostationary Broadband

Falcon Heavy Returns | A Six-Ton Bet on Geostationary Broadband

Falcon Heavy flew for the first time in eighteen months on April 29, 2026, expending its center core to push Viasat's final ViaSat-3 satellite toward geostationary orbit. The mission is a flagship rocket doing what only it can still do, for an operator betting six tons of high-throughput hardware on a market Starlink is rapidly redefining.

Space Brief 14 Jun 2025

Space Brief 14 Jun 2025

Today's space news roundup highlights a significant defense bill passed for the Space Force, a delay in the Axiom-4 mission due to ISS issues, and major satellite deals with NATO.

Booster 20 Fires All 33 Engines in Record Test | KeepTrack Space Brief

Booster 20 Fires All 33 Engines in Record Test | KeepTrack Space Brief

SpaceX completed a full 33-engine static fire on Booster 20, the longest duration test to date. The milestone clears a major hurdle before the next Starship flight attempt.

NASA Declares MAVEN Dead; Eastern Range Damage Assessment Underway | KeepTrack Space Brief

NASA Declares MAVEN Dead; Eastern Range Damage Assessment Underway | KeepTrack Space Brief

NASA officially ended the MAVEN Mars orbiter mission after months of radio silence following an anomaly. Space Force assessing Eastern Range damage from separate incident affecting launch cadence.

SpaceX Eyes $1.75T Valuation in $75B IPO | KeepTrack X Report

SpaceX Eyes $1.75T Valuation in $75B IPO | KeepTrack X Report

SpaceX targets a $75B IPO valuing the company at over $1.75 trillion, while Falcon 9 chases its 200th drone ship landing at Vandenberg.