Space Brief 29 Nov 2025
Today's Space Brief covers a Soyuz launch mishap that damaged Baikonur pad, Varda Space's AFRL test flights, ION vehicles aboard SpaceX Transporter-15, and more.
NORAD ID
56164
International Designator
2023-050C
Epoch
Sun, 19 Jul 2026 19:21:56 GMT
Apogee
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Perigee
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Inclination
81.00°
Right Ascension
40.55°
Eccentricity
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Argument of Perigee
243.33°
Period
103.98 min
Mean Motion
13.85 rev/day
Latitude
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Longitude
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Altitude
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Velocity
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Name
CHECKMATE 4
Alternative Name
Checkmate 4
Type
Status
Owner
SDA
Country
United States
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
1 56164U 23050C 26200.80690522 .00000027 00000+0 14317-4 0 9992
2 56164 80.9999 40.5542 0004803 243.3335 116.7329 13.84818516166654
Source: Celestrak
Length
1
Diameter
0.6
Span
2
Dry Mass
300
Launch Mass
300
Shape
Box + panels
Radar Cross Section
Unknown
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
SDA-0A TPL York-04
Purpose
Unknown
Mission
Unknown
Manufacturer
YORKSS
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
S-Class
Configuration
Unknown
Motor
Unknown
Equipment
Unknown
Power System
Unknown
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
Today's Space Brief covers a Soyuz launch mishap that damaged Baikonur pad, Varda Space's AFRL test flights, ION vehicles aboard SpaceX Transporter-15, and more.
SpaceX successfully launched 28 Starlink satellites, marking a significant milestone with its 500th Falcon rocket landing. Meanwhile, the Starship program reflects on its journey through ten flights, and competition with Amazon's Project Kuiper heats up as JetBlue opts for their in-flight Wi-Fi service.
A Falcon 9 booster sets a reusability record on its 35th flight during the Starlink 10-35 mission, the constellation's 53rd dedicated launch.
Starship Flight 6 approaches with a daring booster catch, while SpaceX ramps up satellite launches and navigates regulatory challenges.
Starship launch site construction progresses at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral. Elon Musk trolls Ryanair after budget airline refuses to install Starlink on its fleet.
Starlink satellites fired their thrusters to dodge a collision roughly 300,000 times in 2025, about 822 times a day. Behind that number is a fragile, half-automated system of warnings, probabilities, and judgment calls that decides which close approaches are worth a maneuver and which are just noise.
SpaceX faces a series of challenges with scrubbing the Starship Flight 8 launch and losing a Falcon 9 booster post-landing, while successfully deploying new Starlink satellites.
SpaceX successfully launches 28 Starlink satellites on a new Falcon 9 rocket from California, marking a significant milestone for their satellite constellation.