NASA Awards Private Mars Orbiter Contract for 2028 | KeepTrack X Report
A California firm wins NASA's Aeolus Mars orbiter contract, targeting 2028 launch for the first daily global Martian environment measurements.
Launch Date
September 3, 2025
Launch Site
Launch Pad
LC40
Launch Vehicle
NORAD ID
65467
International Designator
2025-195K
Epoch
Sun, 19 Jul 2026 20:00:01 GMT
Apogee
Calculating...
Perigee
Calculating...
Inclination
53.16°
Right Ascension
4.67°
Eccentricity
Calculating...
Argument of Perigee
76.30°
Period
94.01 min
Mean Motion
15.32 rev/day
Latitude
Calculating...
Longitude
Calculating...
Altitude
Calculating...
Velocity
Calculating...
Name
STARLINK-34816
Alternative Name
N/A
Type
Status
Owner
SPXS
Country
United States
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
1 65467U 25195K 26200.83335647 .00031086 00000+0 10098-2 0 9996
2 65467 53.1615 4.6744 0001226 76.2963 204.1474 15.31686036 5703
Source: Celestrak
Length
0.3
Diameter
4.1
Span
29.0
Dry Mass
530
Launch Mass
575
Shape
Box + pan
Radar Cross Section
Unknown
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
Starlink Group 10-22-10
Purpose
Unknown
Mission
Unknown
Manufacturer
SPXS
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
Starlink V2MO
Configuration
Unknown
Motor
Unknown
Equipment
Unknown
Power System
Unknown
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
A California firm wins NASA's Aeolus Mars orbiter contract, targeting 2028 launch for the first daily global Martian environment measurements.
U.S. GSSAP satellites execute coordinated GEO maneuvers for continuous surveillance of Chinese Shijian-29 spacecraft. Handoff approach maintains coverage with zero gaps.
Blue Origin's New Glenn suffered catastrophic anomaly during static fire test at LC-36. Amazon LEO satellites pulled; NASA lunar missions now in question.
SpaceX successfully launched 28 Starlink satellites from Florida, marking another milestone for their ongoing deployment efforts.
Space Force procures second Otter spacecraft for satellite repositioning. Momentus and NASA sign Space Act Agreement for orbital servicing tests. Pentagon delays contractor review.
SpaceX faces a launch delay at Cape Canaveral and continues to advance Starship development.
Today's brief covers China's latest experimental launch to GEO and new commercial satellites, insights from hyperspectral imagery on underground structures, and the Space Force's material testing for Mars missions.
Today's Space Brief covers a major partnership in space tech distribution, China's orbital refueling preparations under U.S. scrutiny, recent U.S. defense budget reveals, and an exciting hyperspectral imagery release from Xplore.