China Launches VLEO Alliance With Sats Below 300km | KeepTrack Space Brief
China formalized a national VLEO industry alliance with multiple satellites sustaining operations below 300 kilometers altitude. Propulsion startups attracting investment.
Launch Date
December 29, 2005
Launch Site
Launch Pad
LC200/39
Launch Vehicle
Proton-M/Briz-M
NORAD ID
28924
International Designator
2005-052A
Epoch
Fri, 03 Jul 2026 21:36:21 GMT
Apogee
Calculating...
Perigee
Calculating...
Inclination
4.26°
Right Ascension
76.33°
Eccentricity
Calculating...
Argument of Perigee
27.60°
Period
1436.13 min
Mean Motion
1.00 rev/day
Latitude
Calculating...
Longitude
Calculating...
Altitude
Calculating...
Velocity
Calculating...
Name
EUTELSAT 174A
Alternative Name
AMC 23
Type
Status
Owner
AMCS
Country
United States
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
1 28924U 05052A 26184.90024463 .00000018 00000-0 00000-0 0 9995
2 28924 4.2582 76.3250 0006116 27.5980 316.0870 1.00269410 52494
Source: Celestrak
Length
5.5
Diameter
2.5
Span
38
Dry Mass
2400
Launch Mass
5035
Shape
Box + 2 Pan
Radar Cross Section
5.4972
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
Americom 23
Purpose
Communication
Mission
Communication
Manufacturer
ALCAF
Life Expectancy
16 years
Bus
Spacebus 4000C3
Configuration
Spacebus-4000C3
Motor
S400
Equipment
18 (+4) C-band transponders, 20 (+6) Ku-band transponders
Power System
2 deployable solar arrays, batteries
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
China formalized a national VLEO industry alliance with multiple satellites sustaining operations below 300 kilometers altitude. Propulsion startups attracting investment.
Falcon 9 stand-down may impact next ISS crew rotation as NASA monitors the situation. Musk merges xAI into SpaceX to build space data centers. 9,633 Starlink sats on orbit.
SpaceX's Starlink V2 promises 100x data density for 5G direct-to-phone service. Deutsche Telekom targets 10 European countries by 2028.
Today's key topics include delays in Vulcan's national security launches, a significant network upgrade contract for the Space Force, and military interest in SpaceX's Starship.
Space Force procures second Otter spacecraft for satellite repositioning. Momentus and NASA sign Space Act Agreement for orbital servicing tests. Pentagon delays contractor review.
Today's brief focuses on Blue Origin's scrubbed New Glenn launch, SpaceX's reusability milestone, and a warning from the US Air Force about China's advancements in space capabilities. We're also highlighting a key satellite in orbit.
SpaceX successfully launched 26 Starlink satellites from California, preparing for upcoming crewed missions to the ISS.
SpaceX launches its first crewed mission over Earth's poles and FAA concludes investigation into the Starship Flight 7 incident.