Space Brief 28 Feb 2025
Today's brief covers defense industry dynamics, advancements in quantum sensor technology, and geopolitical challenges impacting military space operations.
BEIJING 1 (28890)
COSPAR: 2005-043A | Alt Name: Beijing-1
Image
Additional Sources
Launch Details
Launch Date
October 27, 2005
Launch Site
PLMSC
Launch Pad
LC132/1
Launch Vehicle
Kosmos 11K65M
Orbital Elements
NORAD ID
28890
International Designator
2005-043A
Epoch
Sat, 04 Jul 2026 07:27:55 GMT
Apogee
Calculating...
Perigee
Calculating...
Inclination
98.29°
Right Ascension
318.62°
Eccentricity
Calculating...
Argument of Perigee
225.08°
Period
98.39 min
Mean Motion
14.64 rev/day
Latitude
Calculating...
Longitude
Calculating...
Altitude
Calculating...
Velocity
Calculating...
Polar Plot
3D Visualization
Basic Satellite Info
Name
BEIJING 1
Alternative Name
Beijing-1
Type
Payload
Status
Operational
Owner
BLMIT
Country
China
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
Latest TLEs
1 28890U 05043A 26185.31106225 .00000094 00000-0 27693-4 0 9995
2 28890 98.2941 318.6207 0013572 225.0804 134.9297 14.63541668103157
Source: Celestrak
Summary
BEIJING 1 (also known as Beijing-1) is an Earth observation satellite with a SSTL-150 configuration manufactured by SSTL and launched on October 27, 2005, from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome using a Kosmos 11K65M launch vehicle. The satellite has dimensions of approximately 0.9 meters in length and diameter, with a span of 0.9 meters. It weighs 150 kilograms at launch and is equipped with a 4-meter image imager that offers a resolution of 32 meters across three spectral bands for Earth observation purposes. BEIJING 1 is powered by solar cells and batteries and uses resistojets as its motor system. The satellite was owned by BLMIT and operated under the China-DMC payload mission, aimed at providing Earth observation services.
Physical Characteristics
Length
0.9
Diameter
0.8
Span
0.9
Dry Mass
150
Launch Mass
150
Shape
Box
Radar Cross Section
0.3512
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Technical Details
Payload
China-DMC
Purpose
Earth observation
Mission
Earth observation
Manufacturer
SSTL
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
SSTL-150
Configuration
SSTL-150
Motor
Resistojets
Equipment
4 meter, image, 32-meter resolution imager in 3 spectral bands
Power System
Solar cells, batteries
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
Map
Next Pass
Azimuth Elevation Time (Local)
Start Azimuth
Max Elevation
Stop Azimuth
Time Until
Pass Duration
Satellite Articles
View All Posts »Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
X Report 1 Aug 2025
SpaceX successfully launched 19 Starlink satellites from California amidst a weather-related scrub of the Crew-11 mission to the ISS, showcasing the company’s focus on expanding its satellite constellation while overcoming operational challenges.
Space Brief 8 Sep 2025
Today's highlights include China's Yaogan-40 satellite launch, military contracts for rocket studies, and SpaceX's 500th booster landing.
Artemis 2 Crew Arrives for April 1 Lunar Flyby Launch | KeepTrack Space Brief
Artemis 2 astronauts arrive at KSC for April 1 launch. Four-person crew will fly lunar free-return trajectory, first crewed lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972.
Space Brief 24 May 2025
Today's key space events include a milestone Falcon booster landing, advances in US military satellite operations, and a new missile defense initiative.
Space Brief 3 Feb 2025
Today's brief covers SpaceX's continued Starlink expansions, Japan's successful Michibiki satellite launch, and challenges faced by India's navigation satellite. Stay updated on crucial satellite events and launches.
Lagrange Points
Five spots in the Earth-Sun system where the gravitational tug of two massive bodies and the pull of circular motion all cancel out, creating gravitational parking spaces where spacecraft can sit for decades with almost no fuel.
The Satellites the Size of a Studio Apartment
AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird constellation is a bet that raw aperture size wins. Each satellite unfolds a 64-square-meter phased-array antenna in orbit, the largest commercial antenna ever deployed. The company claims a stock smartphone on the ground can connect directly to it. The competition says the physics doesn't support that. Seventeen satellites in and a contract with AT&T, Verizon, and Vodafone, somebody's math is wrong.