Japan's H3 Returns to Flight With 6 Satellites | KeepTrack Space Brief
Japan's H3 rocket successfully launched June 11, deploying 6 smallsats to orbit after December failure. First return-to-flight for JAXA's flagship heavy-lift vehicle.
BEIDOU-3 M3 (43208)
COSPAR: 2018-018B | Alt Name: Beidou DW 28
Image
Additional Sources
Launch Details
Launch Date
February 12, 2018
Launch Site
XICLF
Launch Pad
LC2
Launch Vehicle
Chang Zheng 3B/YZ-1
Orbital Elements
NORAD ID
43208
International Designator
2018-018B
Epoch
Fri, 03 Jul 2026 09:02:11 GMT
Apogee
Calculating...
Perigee
Calculating...
Inclination
56.66°
Right Ascension
62.62°
Eccentricity
Calculating...
Argument of Perigee
343.76°
Period
773.23 min
Mean Motion
1.86 rev/day
Latitude
Calculating...
Longitude
Calculating...
Altitude
Calculating...
Velocity
Calculating...
Polar Plot
3D Visualization
Basic Satellite Info
Name
BEIDOU-3 M3
Alternative Name
Beidou DW 28
Type
Payload
Status
Operational
Owner
CNSA
Country
China
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
Latest TLEs
1 43208U 18018B 26184.37652492 -.00000035 00000-0 00000-0 0 9993
2 43208 56.6643 62.6192 0007987 343.7588 16.2854 1.86231386 57044
Source: Celestrak
Summary
The BEIDOU-3 M3 satellite, also known as Beidou DW 28, was launched on February 12, 2018, from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center (XICLF) using the Chang Zheng 3B/YZ-1 launch vehicle. It is a part of China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System and has dimensions of approximately 2.2 meters in length, 1.7 meters in diameter, and a span of 10 meters due to its solar arrays. The satellite has a dry mass of 850 kilograms and was manufactured by CAST (Chinese Academy of Space Technology) for the CNSA (China National Space Administration). Its primary mission is navigation with an expected operational lifetime of 12 years. BEIDOU-3 M3 features two deployable solar arrays and batteries for power generation, and its structure includes a box shape with two panels.
Physical Characteristics
Length
2.2
Diameter
1.7
Span
10
Dry Mass
850
Launch Mass
1014
Shape
Box + 2 Pan
Radar Cross Section
Unknown
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Technical Details
Payload
Beidou-3 M3
Purpose
Navigation
Mission
Navigation
Manufacturer
CAST
Life Expectancy
12 years
Bus
BD-3M
Configuration
Unknown
Motor
Unknown
Equipment
?
Power System
2 deployable solar arrays, batteries
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
Map
Next Pass
Azimuth Elevation Time (Local)
Start Azimuth
Max Elevation
Stop Azimuth
Time Until
Pass Duration
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