Space Brief 29 Dec 2025
Today's highlights include Japan's new military satellite imagery initiative, NASA's SPHEREx map, and AST BlueBird 6's groundbreaking cellular array in low Earth orbit.
Launch Date
July 29, 2022
Launch Site
XICLF
Launch Pad
LC3
Launch Vehicle
Chang Zheng 2D
NORAD ID
53319
International Designator
2022-088D
Decay Date
6/27/2023
Name
CZ-2D DEB
Alternative Name
YG-35-03 Adapter
Type
Status
Owner
CASC
Country
China
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
Length
1
Diameter
3.3
Span
3.3
Dry Mass
300
Launch Mass
300
Shape
Cone
Radar Cross Section
Unknown
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
Adapter
Purpose
Unknown
Mission
Unknown
Manufacturer
SAST
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
Unknown
Configuration
Unknown
Motor
Unknown
Equipment
Unknown
Power System
Unknown
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
Today's highlights include Japan's new military satellite imagery initiative, NASA's SPHEREx map, and AST BlueBird 6's groundbreaking cellular array in low Earth orbit.
Shenzhou-23 docked with Tiangong May 24 with 3 astronauts, including Hong Kong's first crew member. One will stay ~1 year in orbit.
Reports suggest SpaceX considering confidential IPO filing this March at $1.75T+ valuation. Starship may not fly on NASA's revamped Artemis 3 mission. 25 Starlink sats launched.
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.
SpaceX rideshare Falcon 9 deployed 81 payloads including military tech demos to sun-synchronous orbit. China's Long March 10B and India's Vikram-I both debut this week among 6 scheduled launches.
Rocket Lab will acquire Iridium for $8B to challenge SpaceX, whose Starlink constellation holds 10,706 working satellites of 12,390 launched.
SpaceX made significant strides with the launch of 28 Starlink satellites while navigating regulatory challenges regarding rural broadband funding. Additionally, developments on the Crew Dragon mission continue to evolve with a change in cosmonaut assignment.
Highlights include China's rising threats in space, a new Starlink launch, NASA's optimistic future, and a cosmic conjunction featuring the Moon and Saturn.