The Day a Farm Boy Found a New World
Ninety-five years ago, a 24-year-old astronomer with no college degree made one of astronomy's most remarkable discoveries, finding a new planet that would challenge our understanding of the solar system
Launch Date
May 9, 1963
Launch Site
AFWTR
Launch Pad
LC1-2
Launch Vehicle
Atlas Agena B
NORAD ID
19051
International Designator
1963-014EA
Epoch
Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:05:00 GMT
Apogee
Calculating...
Perigee
Calculating...
Inclination
87.38°
Right Ascension
150.94°
Eccentricity
Calculating...
Argument of Perigee
218.84°
Period
166.13 min
Mean Motion
8.67 rev/day
Latitude
Calculating...
Longitude
Calculating...
Altitude
Calculating...
Velocity
Calculating...
Name
WESTFORD NEEDLES
Alternative Name
West Ford cluster
Type
Status
Owner
AFSSD
Country
United States
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
1 19051U 63014EA 26183.87847435 -.00000109 00000-0 -50969-1 0 9998
2 19051 87.3793 150.9353 0169928 218.8368 140.0171 8.66795426444708
Source: Celestrak
Length
0
Diameter
0
Span
0
Dry Mass
0
Launch Mass
0
Shape
N/A
Radar Cross Section
0.3681
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
RCS 0.31
Purpose
Unknown
Mission
Unknown
Manufacturer
Unknown
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
Unknown
Configuration
Unknown
Motor
Unknown
Equipment
Unknown
Power System
Unknown
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
Ninety-five years ago, a 24-year-old astronomer with no college degree made one of astronomy's most remarkable discoveries, finding a new planet that would challenge our understanding of the solar system
SpaceX readies Starlink 6-96 launch of 29 satellites from Cape Canaveral. Thermal Protection System evaluations underway at Starbase for next Starship prototypes. SpaceX IPO expected to reshape market.
Gwynne Shotwell confirms Starlink V2 launches on Starship in 2027. Ship 39 preps Starship Flight 12; Falcon 9 lofts its 600th Starlink of 2026.
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
Today's brief covers crucial developments in satellite technology and operations, including new Starlink launches, groundbreaking satellite data on flood waves, and pivotal changes in South African telecom policy driven by Starlink.
SpaceX successfully launched its CRS-33 Dragon cargo mission to the ISS, while preparations for the upcoming Starship Flight 10 continue, highlighting significant advancements in both cargo operations and test flight reliability.
On February 10, 2009, an active Iridium communications satellite and a derelict Soviet military spacecraft slammed into each other 789 kilometers above Siberia. The collision produced more than 2,300 pieces of trackable debris that are still up there. Seventeen years later, the Iridium-Cosmos collision remains the event that made space debris a policy problem the world could no longer ignore.
Discover the latest in satellite tracking with key topics covering the launch of Tranche 1 satellites for the Space Development Agency, a record-setting Transporter-15 mission by Exolaunch, and new defense-focused satellite connectivity solutions by Satlink and Rivada.