The Day a Giant Space Balloon United the Cold War
When a 135-foot inflatable mirror bounced a radio signal from England to Russia, it became the first joint US-Soviet space venture - and changed how we think about satellite communication.
Launch Date
December 19, 2011
Launch Site
XICLF
Launch Pad
LC2
Launch Vehicle
Chang Zheng 3B
NORAD ID
40193
International Designator
2011-077S
Epoch
Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:01:12 GMT
Apogee
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Perigee
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Inclination
26.63°
Right Ascension
26.60°
Eccentricity
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Argument of Perigee
343.90°
Period
770.92 min
Mean Motion
1.87 rev/day
Latitude
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Longitude
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Altitude
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Velocity
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Name
CZ-3B DEB
Alternative Name
deb CZ-3B Y21
Type
Status
Owner
CASC
Country
China
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
1 40193U 11077S 26183.87583741 -.00000313 00000-0 -14883-1 0 9990
2 40193 26.6278 26.5983 7413691 343.9033 1.6050 1.86788624 76453
Source: Celestrak
Length
0
Diameter
0
Span
0
Dry Mass
0
Launch Mass
0
Shape
N/A
Radar Cross Section
0.4401
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
Unknown
Purpose
Unknown
Mission
Unknown
Manufacturer
CALT
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
Unknown
Configuration
Unknown
Motor
Unknown
Equipment
Unknown
Power System
Unknown
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
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