The Day Fiery Failure Launched NASA
Sixty-eight years ago, America's first satellite exploded on the launchpad in front of the entire world. But from the ashes of Vanguard TV-3 came the determination that would eventually win the Space Race.
Launch Date
June 16, 1993
Launch Site
PLMSC
Launch Pad
LC132/1
Launch Vehicle
Kosmos 11K65M
NORAD ID
38481
International Designator
1993-036BTR
Epoch
Wed, 01 Jul 2026 05:59:14 GMT
Apogee
Calculating...
Perigee
Calculating...
Inclination
73.93°
Right Ascension
20.78°
Eccentricity
Calculating...
Argument of Perigee
281.25°
Period
103.18 min
Mean Motion
13.96 rev/day
Latitude
Calculating...
Longitude
Calculating...
Altitude
Calculating...
Velocity
Calculating...
Name
COSMOS 2251 DEB
Alternative Name
deb Kosmos-2251
Type
Status
Owner
KVR
Country
Russia
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
1 38481U 93036BTR 26182.24947642 .00001277 00000-0 77326-3 0 9997
2 38481 73.9321 20.7794 0225290 281.2535 76.3354 13.95670835618578
Source: Celestrak
Length
0
Diameter
0
Span
0
Dry Mass
0
Launch Mass
0
Shape
N/A
Radar Cross Section
0.0082
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
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
Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
Sixty-eight years ago, America's first satellite exploded on the launchpad in front of the entire world. But from the ashes of Vanguard TV-3 came the determination that would eventually win the Space Race.
SpaceX surpassed 10,000 simultaneous Starlink satellites in orbit after Starlink 17-24 deployed 25 satellites from California. Milestone reached in under 7 years.
Today's brief covers the expansion of the U.S. missile defense shield, a new contract for Viasat from the U.S. Space Force, and the Missile Defense Agency's call for innovative Iron Dome concepts.
Today's brief highlights the upcoming X-37B military spaceplane launch, ongoing partnerships to protect radio astronomy, and West Virginia's minimal allocation of broadband subsidies to satellite providers like SpaceX.
India's second spaceport solves a geometry problem. How ISRO is building a dedicated small satellite facility that eliminates the costly dogleg maneuvers plaguing polar launches from Sriharikota.
Today's Space Brief covers the Space Force's AI integration, NASA's lunar nuclear reactor plans, ESA's Flight Ticket Initiative, Martian mantle revelations, and SpaceX's latest Starlink launch.
SpaceX gears up for another busy week with a Falcon 9 launch to the ISS while Vast Space expands its Haven-1 payload roster.
The Kessler Syndrome threatens humanity's future in space as cascading satellite collisions create exponential debris growth. With 36,000+ tracked objects and recent incidents accelerating risks, we face a critical juncture: implement solutions now or potentially lose access to low Earth orbit forever.