Space Brief 28 Apr 2025
Today's highlights include SpaceX's 250th Starlink mission, a key Senate vote for NASA's next administrator, and insights into satellite missions and movements.
Launch Date
August 30, 2001
Launch Site
FRGUI
Launch Pad
ELA2
Launch Vehicle
Ariane 44L
NORAD ID
26900
International Designator
2001-039A
Epoch
Wed, 17 Jun 2026 12:43:48 GMT
Apogee
Calculating...
Perigee
Calculating...
Inclination
6.12°
Right Ascension
71.78°
Eccentricity
Calculating...
Argument of Perigee
11.26°
Period
1436.09 min
Mean Motion
1.00 rev/day
Latitude
Calculating...
Longitude
Calculating...
Altitude
Calculating...
Velocity
Calculating...
Name
INTELSAT 902 (IS-902)
Alternative Name
INTELSAT 902
Type
Status
Owner
INTELD
Country
United States
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
1 26900U 01039A 26168.53041905 -.00000291 00000-0 00000+0 0 9992
2 26900 6.1182 71.7793 0004329 11.2555 323.5996 1.00271937 90699
Source: Celestrak
Length
5.6
Diameter
2.8
Span
31
Dry Mass
1978
Launch Mass
4723
Shape
Box + 2 Pan + 2 Dish
Radar Cross Section
14.1589
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
INTELSAT 902
Purpose
Communication
Mission
Communication
Manufacturer
LOR
Life Expectancy
13 years
Bus
FS-1300HL
Configuration
SSL-1300HL
Motor
R-4D-11-164
Equipment
44 C-band transponders, 12 Ku-band transponders
Power System
2 deployable solar arrays, batteries
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
Today's highlights include SpaceX's 250th Starlink mission, a key Senate vote for NASA's next administrator, and insights into satellite missions and movements.
SpaceX's Starship Flight 12 debuts Ship 39 and Booster 19 on May 19, while York Space faces investor confusion as Space Force reorganizes the Space Development Agency.
Today marks significant milestones and setbacks for SpaceX as Starship Flight 9 completes a historic launch but ultimately suffers a loss of control. Additionally, a successful Starlink deployment continues to expand global internet coverage.
SpaceX achieves a new milestone with a Falcon 9 landing near The Bahamas, closely following Rocket Lab's successful satellite launch.
Starship transport barge identified for shipping components from Starbase to Kennedy Space Center. Starlink's 2025 report shows 4.6M new customers and expansion to 35 new regions.
SpaceX secures a significant military contract while successfully launching multiple batches of Starlink satellites. Furthermore, milestones aboard the ISS highlight ongoing space missions.
Space Force projects ~1,000 launches between FY2027–FY2031, averaging 200 annually. DAF study concludes new launch site is "probably" required to absorb cadence.
SpaceX makes strides with new GPS and Starlink launches while securing major U.S. government contracts.