Space Brief 16 Dec 2024
Today's briefing covers the ULA's military application for Vulcan's upper stage, FAA's efforts to expedite launch licensing, and a fascinating flyby of Mercury by BepiColombo.
Launch Date
December 19, 2024
Launch Site
Oriental Spaceport
Launch Pad
Mobile Sea Platform
Launch Vehicle
Ceres-1S
NORAD ID
62368
International Designator
2024-245D
Epoch
Sun, 19 Jul 2026 19:30:31 GMT
Apogee
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Perigee
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Inclination
44.98°
Right Ascension
176.34°
Eccentricity
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Argument of Perigee
178.94°
Period
102.92 min
Mean Motion
13.99 rev/day
Latitude
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Longitude
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Altitude
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Velocity
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Name
TIANQI 36
Alternative Name
Tianqi Xingzuo 36
Type
Status
Owner
Guodian Gaoke
Country
China
Constellation
Tianqi
Related Satellites
Major Events
Launched on December 19, 2024, as part of a four-satellite deployment to expand the Tianqi constellation
1 62368U 24245D 26200.81286347 -.00000102 00000+0 18484-4 0 9993
2 62368 44.9828 176.3386 0007478 178.9410 181.1440 13.99190599 80914
Source: Celestrak
Length
0.5
Diameter
0.3
Span
0.5
Dry Mass
40
Launch Mass
40
Shape
Box
Radar Cross Section
0.1
Visual Magnitude
6.5
Color
Silver with solar panel arrays
Material Composition
Aluminum alloy structure with composite materials
Payload
IoT communication payload
Purpose
To enhance connectivity and efficiency through smart, connected devices
Mission
Part of the Tianqi constellation, providing global IoT data services
Manufacturer
Guodian Gaoke
Life Expectancy
Expected operational lifetime of 5 years
Bus
StarLightB
Configuration
CubeSat
Motor
Unknown
Equipment
Communication payload for Internet of Things (IoT) data relay
Power System
Solar panels with battery storage
ADCS
Three-axis stabilization
Transmitter Frequency
401 MHz
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