SpaceX Wins $4.16B Space Force Contract, X Report 3 Jun 2026
SpaceX wins a $4.16 billion Space Force satellite contract to track airborne threats worldwide, while dual-pad launches add 53 Starlink satellites.
Launch Date
April 15, 1992
Launch Site
PLMSC
Launch Pad
LC132/1
Launch Vehicle
Kosmos 11K65M
NORAD ID
21938
International Designator
1992-020B
Epoch
Sat, 04 Jul 2026 04:02:54 GMT
Apogee
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Perigee
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Inclination
82.93°
Right Ascension
67.24°
Eccentricity
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Argument of Perigee
335.33°
Period
104.69 min
Mean Motion
13.76 rev/day
Latitude
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Longitude
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Altitude
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Velocity
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Name
SL-8 R/B
Alternative Name
Kosmos-3M 78-419 Stage 2
Type
Status
Owner
RVSNR
Country
Russia
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
1 21938U 92020B 26185.16869117 .00000045 00000-0 31499-4 0 9996
2 21938 82.9295 67.2434 0028557 335.3299 189.2884 13.75550210717146
Source: Celestrak
Length
4.2
Diameter
2.4
Span
4.2
Dry Mass
1434
Launch Mass
1434
Shape
Cyl
Radar Cross Section
3.9165
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
S3M
Purpose
Unknown
Mission
Unknown
Manufacturer
POL
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
S3
Configuration
Unknown
Motor
Unknown
Equipment
Unknown
Power System
Unknown
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
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