Space Brief 8 Apr 2025
Key highlights include the launch of a Navy SEAL astronaut to the ISS, multi-billion dollar contracts awarded by the US Space Force, advancements in secure GPS technology, and a strategic ISR arrangement.
FENGYUN 1C DEB (31181)
COSPAR: 1999-025BJK | Alt Name: deb FY-1C
Image
Additional Sources
Launch Details
Launch Date
May 10, 1999
Launch Site
TAISC
Launch Pad
LC7
Launch Vehicle
Chang Zheng 4B
Orbital Elements
NORAD ID
31181
International Designator
1999-025BJK
Epoch
Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:55:20 GMT
Apogee
Calculating...
Perigee
Calculating...
Inclination
98.76°
Right Ascension
218.10°
Eccentricity
Calculating...
Argument of Perigee
213.23°
Period
101.94 min
Mean Motion
14.13 rev/day
Latitude
Calculating...
Longitude
Calculating...
Altitude
Calculating...
Velocity
Calculating...
Polar Plot
3D Visualization
Basic Satellite Info
Name
FENGYUN 1C DEB
Alternative Name
deb FY-1C
Type
Debris
Status
Space Junk
Owner
CASC
Country
China
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
Latest TLEs
1 31181U 99025BJK 26185.03843337 .00001611 00000-0 88565-3 0 9996
2 31181 98.7561 218.1035 0045983 213.2340 176.5853 14.12545853986372
Source: Celestrak
Summary
Space debris, also known as space junk, encompasses all non-functional objects orbiting Earth such as defunct satellites, spent rocket stages, and fragments from collisions or disintegrations. Over time, this debris can accumulate and create an increasingly hazardous environment in orbit. Even tiny fragments, traveling at extremely high velocities, can inflict significant damage on operational satellites and spacecraft. If left unmanaged, the density of debris raises the risk of catastrophic collisions and further fragmentation, compounding the problem and threatening the safety and sustainability of space activities.
Physical Characteristics
Length
0
Diameter
0
Span
0
Dry Mass
0
Launch Mass
0
Shape
N/A
Radar Cross Section
0.0114
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Technical Details
Payload
Unknown
Purpose
Unknown
Mission
Unknown
Manufacturer
Unknown
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
Unknown
Configuration
Unknown
Motor
Unknown
Equipment
Unknown
Power System
Unknown
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.
Aurora 7 and the Day NASA Almost Lost Scott Carpenter
Exactly 64 years ago today, Scott Carpenter became the fourth American to orbit the Earth aboard Aurora 7. His five-hour flight produced new science, a tense reentry, and 39 minutes of silence in which the country wondered if it had just lost its astronaut.
X Report 11 Dec 2024
SpaceX advances with new Starship engine tests and celebrates a festive launch at Vandenberg. Jared Isaacman's NASA nomination brings excitement and scrutiny.
AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile Unite vs Starlink D2D, X Report 18 May 2026
Starlink direct-to-device competition unites AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile for the first time as SpaceX's 10,354 working satellites reshape mobile coverage.
DROID.002 - Turion Space's Eyes on the Orbital Junkyard
A 90-kilogram spacecraft with iodine thrusters and two Australian-built cameras is quietly building the case that tracking space debris is a business worth billions - and that a four-year-old startup from Irvine can own it.
Starship Launch Site Construction Advances at Kennedy Space Center | KeepTrack X Report
Starship launch site construction progresses at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral. Elon Musk trolls Ryanair after budget airline refuses to install Starlink on its fleet.
X Report 17 Nov 2024
SpaceX readies for Starship Flight 6, stacking the megarocket for its upcoming launch on Nov. 19. Get details on the timing and mission objectives.
The Civilian Space Traffic System America Almost Didn't Build
For nearly two decades, the U.S. Air Force and Space Force have been the world's unofficial civilian space traffic control system. The Department of Commerce's Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS) is now taking over that job for commercial satellite operators - in stages, against persistent congressional pressure to kill the program, and with Department of Defense advocates pushing to make it happen before it is too late.