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 22, 1986
Launch Site
FRGUI
Launch Pad
ELA1
Launch Vehicle
Ariane 1
NORAD ID
16613
International Designator
1986-019A
Epoch
Sat, 04 Jul 2026 05:52:57 GMT
Apogee
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Perigee
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Inclination
98.66°
Right Ascension
119.52°
Eccentricity
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Argument of Perigee
211.31°
Period
97.86 min
Mean Motion
14.72 rev/day
Latitude
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Longitude
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Altitude
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Velocity
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Name
SPOT 1
Alternative Name
SPOT 1
Type
Status
Owner
CNES
Country
France
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
1 16613U 86019A 26185.24511258 .00000919 00000-0 13967-3 0 9999
2 16613 98.6628 119.5247 0127653 211.3150 148.0408 14.71536170813501
Source: Celestrak
Length
4.5
Diameter
2
Span
8.1
Dry Mass
1750
Launch Mass
1900
Shape
Box + Pan
Radar Cross Section
7.279
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
SPOT
Purpose
Earth observation
Mission
Earth observation
Manufacturer
MATT
Life Expectancy
3 years (design)
Bus
SPOT
Configuration
SPOT Mk.1
Motor
SPOT AOCS
Equipment
2 HRV imager
Power System
Deployable solar array, batteries
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
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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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