Space Brief 6 Dec 2025
Discover the latest developments in hypersonic missile production, defense innovation strategies, and satellite infrastructure resilience impacting military operations.
Launch Date
April 21, 1972
Launch Site
PLMSC
Launch Pad
LC133/3
Launch Vehicle
Kosmos 11K63
NORAD ID
06006
International Designator
1972-033A
Decay Date
9/24/1972
Name
COSMOS 487
Alternative Name
Kosmos-487
Type
Status
Owner
PVO
Country
USSR
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
Apologies, there is no summary for this satellite yet. I am working to generate these for every object in the catalog, but it is going to take time.
Length
1.2
Diameter
1.2
Span
1.2
Dry Mass
200
Launch Mass
200
Shape
Poly
Radar Cross Section
Unknown
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
DS-P1-Yu No. 57L
Purpose
Unknown
Mission
Unknown
Manufacturer
YUZH
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
DS-P1
Configuration
Unknown
Motor
Unknown
Equipment
Unknown
Power System
Unknown
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
Discover the latest developments in hypersonic missile production, defense innovation strategies, and satellite infrastructure resilience impacting military operations.
Today's highlights include ExoMars' successful parachute test, developments in military satellite systems, and leadership changes at NASA Goddard.
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 Crew-12 mission set to launch astronauts to ISS on Feb 13. Starlink gains another airline partner for in-flight internet. Musk tops Forbes' 250 Greatest Innovators list.
Today's brief highlights the upcoming X-37B military spaceplane launch, ongoing partnerships to protect radio astronomy, and West Virginia's minimal allocation of broadband subsidies to satellite providers like SpaceX.
On April 22, 2026, the FAA published a final rule implementing per-launch user fees for commercial space transportation — the first time the U.S. government has charged payload-based fees for rocket launches. Starting at 25 cents per pound with a $30,000 cap, the fees are modest today. By 2033, they won't be.
Today's highlights include a space debris incident involving China's spacecraft, development advancements for military space missions, and a notable setback for SpaceX's Starship booster.
On April 21, 2026, the tenth and final GPS Block III satellite reached medium Earth orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9. Named for Hedy Lamarr, the actress whose 1942 frequency-hopping patent underpins modern GPS, SV10 closes a procurement that took eight years to deliver hardware and opens the optical-crosslink era that will define the constellation's next decade.