White House Orders Space Nuclear Power by 2028 | KeepTrack Space Brief
White House directs NASA and Pentagon to field space nuclear power systems by 2028, with DoD demonstration required by 2031. Game-changer for military satellite power budgets.
NORAD ID
54006
International Designator
2022-125AU
Epoch
Mon, 20 Jul 2026 06:00:04 GMT
Apogee
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Perigee
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Inclination
53.16°
Right Ascension
336.94°
Eccentricity
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Argument of Perigee
58.60°
Period
94.91 min
Mean Motion
15.17 rev/day
Latitude
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Longitude
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Altitude
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Velocity
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Name
STARLINK-5096
Alternative Name
Starlink 5096
Type
Status
Owner
SPXS
Country
United States
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
1 54006U 22125AU 26201.25004630 .00080141 00000+0 39458-2 0 9992
2 54006 53.1602 336.9371 0001209 58.5953 191.9542 15.17289147 5868
Source: Celestrak
Length
0.2
Diameter
2.8
Span
9
Dry Mass
290
Launch Mass
305
Shape
Box + pan
Radar Cross Section
Unknown
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
Starlink Group 4-29-43
Purpose
Communication
Mission
Communication
Manufacturer
SPXS
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
Starlink
Configuration
Unknown
Motor
Krypton ion thrusters
Equipment
Ku/Ka-band payload, optical inter-satellite link
Power System
Solar arrays, batteries
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
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White House directs NASA and Pentagon to field space nuclear power systems by 2028, with DoD demonstration required by 2031. Game-changer for military satellite power budgets.
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