The Day a Giant Space Balloon United the Cold War
When a 135-foot inflatable mirror bounced a radio signal from England to Russia, it became the first joint US-Soviet space venture - and changed how we think about satellite communication.
Launch Date
August 9, 1993
Launch Site
AFWTR
Launch Pad
SLC3W
Launch Vehicle
Atlas E
NORAD ID
22739
International Designator
1993-050A
Epoch
Fri, 03 Jul 2026 19:07:43 GMT
Apogee
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Perigee
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Inclination
98.70°
Right Ascension
129.41°
Eccentricity
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Argument of Perigee
82.92°
Period
101.86 min
Mean Motion
14.14 rev/day
Latitude
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Longitude
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Altitude
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Velocity
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Name
NOAA 13
Alternative Name
NOAA 13
Type
Status
Owner
NOAA
Country
United States
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
1 22739U 93050A 26184.79702693 .00000107 00000-0 79091-4 0 9992
2 22739 98.7034 129.4079 0010611 82.9207 277.3172 14.13667476695728
Source: Celestrak
Length
4.2
Diameter
1.9
Span
8
Dry Mass
1030
Launch Mass
1030
Shape
Box + Pan
Radar Cross Section
4.4791
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
NOAA I/S05
Purpose
Meteorology
Mission
Meteorology
Manufacturer
MMAS
Life Expectancy
2 years minimum
Bus
ATN
Configuration
TIROS-N Bus
Motor
Star 37S
Equipment
?
Power System
Deployable solar array, batteries
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
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