Space Brief 20 Jan 2025
Today's Space Brief highlights SpaceX's return to Starlink launches, a call to address space debris, and changes in NASA leadership under the new Trump administration.
CZ-6A DEB (54561)
COSPAR: 2022-151LM | Alt Name: deb CZ-6A Y2
Image
Additional Sources
Launch Details
Launch Date
November 11, 2022
Launch Site
TAISC
Launch Pad
LC9A
Launch Vehicle
Chang Zheng 6A
Orbital Elements
NORAD ID
54561
International Designator
2022-151LM
Epoch
Mon, 20 Jul 2026 02:03:35 GMT
Apogee
Calculating...
Perigee
Calculating...
Inclination
98.77°
Right Ascension
245.03°
Eccentricity
Calculating...
Argument of Perigee
18.19°
Period
100.56 min
Mean Motion
14.32 rev/day
Latitude
Calculating...
Longitude
Calculating...
Altitude
Calculating...
Velocity
Calculating...
Polar Plot
3D Visualization
Explore in the Catalog
Basic Satellite Info
Name
CZ-6A DEB
Alternative Name
deb CZ-6A Y2
Type
Debris
Status
Space Junk
Owner
CNSA
Country
China
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
Latest TLEs
1 54561U 22151LM 26201.08582317 .00000587 00000+0 21471-3 0 9994
2 54561 98.7744 245.0343 0132943 18.1930 342.3944 14.31985287191904
Source: Celestrak
Summary
Space debris, also known as space junk, encompasses all non-functional objects orbiting Earth such as defunct satellites, spent rocket stages, and fragments from collisions or disintegrations. Over time, this debris can accumulate and create an increasingly hazardous environment in orbit. Even tiny fragments, traveling at extremely high velocities, can inflict significant damage on operational satellites and spacecraft. If left unmanaged, the density of debris raises the risk of catastrophic collisions and further fragmentation, compounding the problem and threatening the safety and sustainability of space activities.
Physical Characteristics
Length
0
Diameter
0
Span
0
Dry Mass
0
Launch Mass
0
Shape
N/A
Radar Cross Section
Unknown
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Technical Details
Payload
Unknown
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
Map
Next Pass
Azimuth Elevation Time (Local)
Start Azimuth
Max Elevation
Stop Azimuth
Time Until
Pass Duration
Satellite Articles
View All Posts »Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
108 Minutes That Changed Everything - and the 20-Year Echo That Followed
On April 12, 1961, a 27-year-old Soviet pilot rode a modified ICBM into orbit and came back alive after 108 minutes. Exactly twenty years later, two Americans climbed aboard an untested spacecraft covered in 31,000 ceramic tiles and bet their lives that the math was right.
The Day Two Satellites Hit Each Other at 26,000 MPH
On February 10, 2009, an active Iridium communications satellite and a derelict Soviet military spacecraft slammed into each other 789 kilometers above Siberia. The collision produced more than 2,300 pieces of trackable debris that are still up there. Seventeen years later, the Iridium-Cosmos collision remains the event that made space debris a policy problem the world could no longer ignore.
SpaceX Starfall Reentry Vehicle Plans Revealed by FAA | KeepTrack X Report
FAA documents expose SpaceX's Starfall reentry vehicle program, targeting in-space manufacturing support as the Starlink constellation holds 10,397 working satellites.
Space Brief 29 Oct 2024
Today's space brief covers an impressive SpaceX launch record, China's upcoming crew mission to its space station, an Intelsat 33e debris observation, and more. Key topics include SpaceX's Starship events, ESA's Hera mission updates, and Boeing's potential space division sale.
SpaceX Hits 50 Launches, Falcon Heavy Scrub, X Report 28 Apr 2026
SpaceX hit 50 launches in 2026 on April 26. Falcon Heavy's ViaSat-3 mission, only its 12th flight, scrubbed on weather at Kennedy; new date pending.
Space Brief 15 Dec 2025
Today's highlights include multiple SpaceX Starlink launches, a successful Rocket Lab mission for JAXA, and a scheduled launch update from Kennedy Space Center.
The Day Apollo 14 Restored NASA's Lunar Dreams
Fifty-four years ago, a Saturn V rocket lifted off carrying three astronauts determined to prove America could still reach the Moon after the near-disaster of Apollo 13