Space Brief 14 Apr 2025
Today's highlights include SpaceX's record-breaking Falcon launches, urgent warnings about orbital collisions, and a doubleheader launch featuring spy and Starlink satellites.
Launch Date
December 25, 2021
Launch Site
FRGUI
Launch Pad
ELA3
Launch Vehicle
Ariane 5ECA+
NORAD ID
50463
International Designator
2021-130A
Epoch
Tue, 28 Dec 2021 00:00:00 GMT
Apogee
Calculating...
Perigee
Calculating...
Inclination
4.62°
Right Ascension
89.07°
Eccentricity
Calculating...
Argument of Perigee
192.32°
Period
73541.35 min
Mean Motion
0.02 rev/day
Latitude
Calculating...
Longitude
Calculating...
Altitude
Calculating...
Velocity
Calculating...
Name
JWST
Alternative Name
JWST
Type
Status
Owner
GSFC/ESA
Country
United States
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
1 50463U 21130A 21362.00000000 .00000000 00000+0 00000+0 0 9997
2 50463 4.6198 89.0659 9884983 192.3200 17.4027 00.01958082 27
Source: Celestrak
Length
8
Diameter
4.5
Span
21.2
Dry Mass
5861
Launch Mass
6161
Shape
Box+dish+panels
Radar Cross Section
Unknown
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
James Webb Space Telescope
Purpose
Astronomy (visible to mid IR)
Mission
Astronomy (visible to mid IR)
Manufacturer
NGAS/GSFC
Life Expectancy
5 - 10 years
Bus
JWST
Configuration
Unknown
Motor
TR-500 x 4
Equipment
6.5 m foldable mirror, NIRCam, NIRSpec, MIRI, FGS
Power System
Deployable solar array, batteries
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
Today's highlights include SpaceX's record-breaking Falcon launches, urgent warnings about orbital collisions, and a doubleheader launch featuring spy and Starlink satellites.
Booster B1067 sets a new Falcon 9 reuse record on its 36th flight, lifting Starlink 10-42 from Cape Canaveral at 5:25 a.m. EDT.
Today's brief covers key developments in satellite launches, missile defense strategies, advanced IoT satellite connectivity, and the projected growth of the satellite market driven by defense needs.
SpaceX secures NASA contract for NEO Surveyor launch and prepares for upcoming Starship test flight.
SpaceX launched NROL-179 from Vandenberg at 1:50 a.m. PDT June 19, carrying Starshield spy satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office.
Today's top stories include SpaceX's latest Starlink launch, Blue Origin's FAA exemption request, and major acquisitions by Intuitive Machines and Firefly Aerospace shaping the defense and space landscape.
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.
Seven years ago, SpaceX revolutionized spaceflight by launching the most powerful operational rocket in the world, carrying with it a cherry-red Tesla Roadster that captured global imagination