Space Brief 15 Dec 2025
Today's highlights include multiple SpaceX Starlink launches, a successful Rocket Lab mission for JAXA, and a scheduled launch update from Kennedy Space Center.
Launch Date
December 22, 1965
Launch Site
AFWTR
Launch Pad
PALC-D
Launch Vehicle
Scout A
NORAD ID
01865
International Designator
1965-109B
Epoch
Sat, 04 Jul 2026 04:11:30 GMT
Apogee
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Perigee
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Inclination
89.07°
Right Ascension
247.38°
Eccentricity
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Argument of Perigee
294.57°
Period
104.59 min
Mean Motion
13.77 rev/day
Latitude
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Longitude
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Altitude
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Velocity
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Name
SCOUT A R/B
Alternative Name
Scout S140C Stage 4
Type
Status
Owner
LARCN
Country
United States
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
1 01865U 65109B 26185.17465542 .00000108 00000-0 93592-4 0 9998
2 01865 89.0703 247.3772 0109432 294.5656 64.4136 13.76836447 35974
Source: Celestrak
Length
1.5
Diameter
0.5
Span
1.5
Dry Mass
33
Launch Mass
33
Shape
Cyl
Radar Cross Section
0.5895
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
Altair 2 X-258E6 RH-129
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.
Today's highlights include multiple SpaceX Starlink launches, a successful Rocket Lab mission for JAXA, and a scheduled launch update from Kennedy Space Center.
On April 17, 2026, the U.S. Space Force officially cancelled the Next Generation Operational Control System after sixteen years of development, cost overruns, and testing failures. The $8 billion program was supposed to unlock the military's encrypted GPS signal. Instead, the satellites are flying with capabilities the ground can't command.
Today's brief covers SpaceX's launch of a secret US spy satellite, national security satellite launches, and Japan's missile ambitions. Also highlighted are Estonia's AI defense upgrades and autonomous airpower in Australia.
SpaceX prepares for another Starlink launch today, following a successful deployment over the weekend from Florida's Space Coast.
Today’s highlights include new defense initiatives in the U.S., potential strategic shifts in Europe, and the establishment of council to counter security threats.
SpaceX's first Starship V3 launches May 20 on Flight 12, as Starlink's 10,354 active sats force a historic carrier alliance.
In 2024, China launched 68 orbital missions. In 2025, the number jumped to 97. In 2026, state media and Western analysts agree the target is 140 or more. Most of that growth is being driven by two state-backed mega-constellations, a half-dozen private launch companies hitting stride, and a deliberate national pivot toward commercial space. Beijing is no longer trying to catch SpaceX. It is trying to build an industrial base that outlasts one.
Space Force expands National Security Space Launch Phase 3 with Relativity Space and Impulse Space joining Lane 1 competition. New entrants gain pathway to military payload contracts.