Space Brief 16 Nov 2024
Today's highlights include ABL Space shifting its focus to missile defense, Intuitive Machines advocating for Artemis infrastructure reforms, and more updates from space and defense sectors.
Launch Date
July 15, 2009
Launch Site
Launch Pad
LC39A
Launch Vehicle
Space Shuttle
NORAD ID
35693
International Designator
2009-038E
Decay Date
3/29/2010
Name
ANDE POLLUX SPHERE
Alternative Name
ANDE-Pollux
Type
Status
Owner
STP/NRL
Country
United States
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
Length
0.5
Diameter
0.5
Span
0.5
Dry Mass
25
Launch Mass
25
Shape
Sphere
Radar Cross Section
0.2717
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
ANDE Passive Sphere
Purpose
Research (Atmospheric density)
Mission
Research (Atmospheric density)
Manufacturer
NRL/USNA
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
Unknown
Configuration
Unknown
Motor
None
Equipment
Unknown
Power System
Batteries
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
Today's highlights include ABL Space shifting its focus to missile defense, Intuitive Machines advocating for Artemis infrastructure reforms, and more updates from space and defense sectors.
SpaceX's Falcon Heavy lifts off for the 12th time after 18 months grounded, delivering the final ViaSat-3 satellite from LC-39A at 10:21 a.m. EDT.
SpaceX launches Starlink while debuting on Nasdaq at $1.77 trillion valuation. Meanwhile, Senate FY2027 NDAA would dissolve SDA into Space Force, affecting Tranche constellation tracking.
At 7:33 on the morning of 18 June 1983, a 32-year-old astrophysicist named Sally Ride rode Challenger off Pad 39A and became the first American woman in space. She got there two decades after the Soviets, and only after months of being asked whether spaceflight would damage her reproductive organs and whether she planned to cry.
Hypersonica completes Mach 6+ hypersonic missile flight test in Norway covering 300+ km. Pentagon seeks commercial GEO spy satellites. Gilat wins $9M Israeli defense satcom deal.
Today's space news features significant discussions on the funding of Space Force, advancements in hypersonic technology, and the potential impacts of spectrum auction plans on border defense systems.
Blue Origin launch pad rebuild begins at Cape Canaveral after the New Glenn explosion, targeting return to flight by end of 2026. SpaceX flies NROL-179.
SpaceX successfully launched the historic Axiom-4 mission to the ISS, marking a significant milestone in private space travel, while also expanding Starlink's reach into Vietnam's healthcare sector.