Space Brief 3 Mar 2025
Historic moon landing by Firefly Aerospace, Spanish Air and Space Force advances with new simulator, and spotlight on OneWeb's communication satellite.
Launch Date
February 4, 2021
Launch Site
Launch Pad
LC40
Launch Vehicle
NORAD ID
47567
International Designator
2021-009V
Decay Date
8/23/2025
Name
STARLINK-1966
Alternative Name
Starlink 1966
Type
Status
Owner
SPXS
Country
United States
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
Length
0.2
Diameter
2.8
Span
9
Dry Mass
248
Launch Mass
260
Shape
Box + pan
Radar Cross Section
Unknown
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
Starlink V1.0-L18-20
Purpose
Communication
Mission
Communication
Manufacturer
SPXS
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
Starlink
Configuration
Unknown
Motor
Krypton ion thrusters
Equipment
Ku/Ka-band payload (all), optical inter-satellite links (a few prototypes)
Power System
Solar arrays, batteries
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
Historic moon landing by Firefly Aerospace, Spanish Air and Space Force advances with new simulator, and spotlight on OneWeb's communication satellite.
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