The Day a Giant Space Balloon United the Cold War
When a 135-foot inflatable mirror bounced a radio signal from England to Russia, it became the first joint US-Soviet space venture - and changed how we think about satellite communication.
Launch Date
August 17, 2023
Launch Site
Launch Pad
LC40
Launch Vehicle
NORAD ID
57642
International Designator
2023-122L
Epoch
Sun, 19 Jul 2026 00:11:38 GMT
Apogee
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Perigee
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Inclination
43.00°
Right Ascension
70.61°
Eccentricity
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Argument of Perigee
270.33°
Period
94.27 min
Mean Motion
15.28 rev/day
Latitude
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Longitude
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Altitude
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Velocity
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Name
STARLINK-30263
Alternative Name
Starlink 30263
Type
Status
Owner
SPXS
Country
United States
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
1 57642U 23122L 26200.00808000 .00000480 00000+0 26972-4 0 9991
2 57642 43.0016 70.6142 0001001 270.3279 89.7458 15.27587907162294
Source: Celestrak
Length
0.3
Diameter
4.1
Span
29
Dry Mass
700
Launch Mass
730
Shape
Box + pan
Radar Cross Section
Unknown
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
Starlink Group 6-10-11
Purpose
Communication
Mission
Communication
Manufacturer
SPXS
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
Starlink V2M
Configuration
Starlink v2 Mini
Motor
Argon ion thrusters
Equipment
Ku/Ka/E-band payload, optical inter-satellite link
Power System
Solar arrays, batteries
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
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