X Report 22 Sep 2025
SpaceX successfully launched 28 Starlink satellites from Florida, marking another milestone for their ongoing deployment efforts.
H-1 R/B(1) (18878)
COSPAR: 1988-012B | Alt Name: H-I-18F Stage 2
DECAYED
Image
Additional Sources
Launch Details
Launch Date
February 19, 1988
Launch Site
TANSC
Launch Pad
N
Launch Vehicle
H-1
Orbital Elements
NORAD ID
18878
International Designator
1988-012B
Decay Date
2/26/1988
Basic Satellite Info
Name
H-1 R/B(1)
Alternative Name
H-I-18F Stage 2
Type
Rocket Body
Status
Space Junk
Owner
NASDA
Country
Japan
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
Summary
A rocket body, also commonly referred to as an upper stage or spent rocket stage, is the structural shell left behind after a rocket has delivered its payload to orbit. These large and often heavy pieces of space hardware can remain in orbit for years, posing significant collision hazards as part of the growing space debris problem. If left uncontrolled, rocket bodies have the potential to reenter Earth's atmosphere unpredictably, which can lead to falling debris in populated areas. Additionally, they risk colliding with operational satellites or the International Space Station, creating more debris and putting human life at risk.
Physical Characteristics
Length
10.3
Diameter
2.5
Span
10.3
Dry Mass
1900
Launch Mass
1900
Shape
Cyl
Radar Cross Section
32.05
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Technical Details
Payload
LE-5
Purpose
Unknown
Mission
Unknown
Manufacturer
MHITO
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
LE-5
Configuration
Unknown
Motor
Unknown
Equipment
Unknown
Power System
Unknown
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
Satellite Articles
View All Posts »Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
X Report 16 Dec 2024
SpaceX announces SPHEREx launch date for February 2025, and Airbus completes delivery of Thuraya 4 satellite for upcoming launch.
X Report 4 Nov 2025
Tesla's Cybertruck fleet integrates with SpaceX operations at Starbase, showcasing synergy between Musk's companies.
The Day the Dyna-Soar Dream Died
Exactly 62 years ago, Defense Secretary Robert McNamara ended the X-20 Dyna-Soar program, canceling one of the most ambitious spaceplane projects of the early Space Race - a vehicle that could have put aircraft in orbit decades before the Space Shuttle.
Space Brief 25 Nov 2025
Today's briefing covers Chinese satellite launches, military defense strategies in space, increasing launch activity at the Space Coast, and potential rivals to SpaceX's Starlink.
The Pentagon's Mystery Spaceplane Takes Off
On April 22, 2010, an Atlas V lifted off from Cape Canaveral carrying a reusable robotic spaceplane so secret that the Air Force would not even confirm its mission duration. It came back 224 days later, lighter, quieter, and more operational than anyone outside Washington had expected. Fifteen years later, the X-37B is still flying, and the military still will not say what it does.
Space Brief 19 Nov 2024
Today's brief covers the investigation into Musk-Putin calls, SpaceX launch restrictions impacts, Pentagon's space investment strategies, ABL Space's pivot in focus, and Israel's defense export developments.
X Report 21 Aug 2025
Today's brief highlights the upcoming X-37B military spaceplane launch, ongoing partnerships to protect radio astronomy, and West Virginia's minimal allocation of broadband subsidies to satellite providers like SpaceX.