Space Brief 3 Dec 2025
Today's brief covers the integration of commercial and military space capabilities, a notable change in Crew 12 mission, advancements in digital training for space operations, and more.
Launch Date
April 5, 2018
Launch Site
FRGUI
Launch Pad
ELA3
Launch Vehicle
Ariane 5ECA
NORAD ID
43274
International Designator
2018-033D
Epoch
Fri, 03 Jul 2026 22:48:45 GMT
Apogee
Calculating...
Perigee
Calculating...
Inclination
2.65°
Right Ascension
61.24°
Eccentricity
Calculating...
Argument of Perigee
6.32°
Period
550.95 min
Mean Motion
2.61 rev/day
Latitude
Calculating...
Longitude
Calculating...
Altitude
Calculating...
Velocity
Calculating...
Name
ARIANE 5 R/B
Alternative Name
Sylda 5A
Type
Status
Owner
AESP
Country
France
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
1 43274U 18033D 26184.95052306 .00007594 00000-0 11888-2 0 9999
2 43274 2.6477 61.2415 7030622 6.3187 359.3552 2.61365786 73086
Source: Celestrak
Length
5.5
Diameter
4.5
Span
5.5
Dry Mass
440
Launch Mass
440
Shape
Cyl
Radar Cross Section
Unknown
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
Sylda 5A
Purpose
Unknown
Mission
Unknown
Manufacturer
ADSB
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
SYLDA 5
Configuration
Unknown
Motor
Unknown
Equipment
Unknown
Power System
Unknown
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
Today's brief covers the integration of commercial and military space capabilities, a notable change in Crew 12 mission, advancements in digital training for space operations, and more.
Today's brief covers the U.S. Space Force's orbital carrier initiative, ULA Vulcan's approval for military launches, Rocket Lab's new contract with the Space Force, integrated data layers for military command, and advances in tactical surveillance.
Starship testing progresses at the Cape; Lynk Global secures funding amidst rising satellite competition.
A 220-year-old Japanese construction company wants to build an 11,000-kilometer belt of solar cells around the lunar equator and beam the power back to Earth. The physics checks out. Everything else is another story.
Today, SpaceX faced delays in launching the Ax-4 mission due to a booster leak, while Starlink made strides towards launching in India with new telecom license approval.
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.
Starlink satellites in orbit May 2026: 10,374, with 10,358 working. Mission 17-29 lifts 24 more from Vandenberg and a satellite films the Starlink train.
Forty years ago today, Challenger lifted off LC-39A on a science mission that nobody outside Morton-Thiokol would call dangerous. Years later, after the orbiter and seven other astronauts were gone, investigators looked at the recovered boosters from STS-51B and realized the crew had come within a fraction of a second of dying first. This is the story of the launch that should have been a warning.