Space Brief 9 Feb 2025
Today's highlights include Rocket Lab's successful 2025 kick-off launch, SpaceX's upcoming Starlink deployment, and a significant military satellite contract competition.
Launch Date
November 6, 1973
Launch Site
AFWTR
Launch Pad
SLC2W
Launch Vehicle
Delta 0300
NORAD ID
07023
International Designator
1973-086P
Epoch
Sat, 04 Jul 2026 04:32:45 GMT
Apogee
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Perigee
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Inclination
102.35°
Right Ascension
160.22°
Eccentricity
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Argument of Perigee
349.85°
Period
116.47 min
Mean Motion
12.36 rev/day
Latitude
Calculating...
Longitude
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Altitude
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Velocity
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Name
DELTA 1 DEB
Alternative Name
deb Delta 98
Type
Status
Owner
GSFC
Country
United States
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
1 07023U 73086P 26185.18942027 .00000016 00000-0 48672-3 0 9998
2 07023 102.3457 160.2196 0029110 349.8499 31.0209 12.36371204374514
Source: Celestrak
Length
0
Diameter
0
Span
0
Dry Mass
0
Launch Mass
0
Shape
N/A
Radar Cross Section
0.0652
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
Unknown
Purpose
Unknown
Mission
Unknown
Manufacturer
Unknown
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
Unknown
Configuration
Unknown
Motor
Unknown
Equipment
Unknown
Power System
Unknown
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
Today's highlights include Rocket Lab's successful 2025 kick-off launch, SpaceX's upcoming Starlink deployment, and a significant military satellite contract competition.
On January 20, 1972, the second KH-9 HEXAGON lifted off from Vandenberg - carrying the most sophisticated reconnaissance system ever built by engineers who weren't allowed to say 'film,' 'camera,' or even talk to each other about what they were doing.
On 16 June 1963, a 26-year-old former textile worker named Valentina Tereshkova launched aboard Vostok 6 and spent nearly three days alone in orbit. She flew 48 times around the Earth, longer than every American astronaut combined, and spotted a dangerous flaw in her descent program that ground controllers had missed.
SpaceX secured a $60B option to acquire Cursor AI while launching its 40th Falcon 9 mission of 2026, deploying 24 more Starlink satellites from Vandenberg.
Today's highlights include the Pentagon's report on China's military buildup, Innospace's upcoming launch plans, Starlink's rapid growth, China's significant space strides in 2025, and India's successful deployment of BlueBird 6.
Today's Space Brief covers significant events including a high-stakes missile defense program, recent Chinese satellite launches, military defense initiatives, and key profiles in defense leadership.
On April 17, 2026, the U.S. Space Force officially cancelled the Next Generation Operational Control System after sixteen years of development, cost overruns, and testing failures. The $8 billion program was supposed to unlock the military's encrypted GPS signal. Instead, the satellites are flying with capabilities the ground can't command.
Starship V3's maiden flight is delayed as SpaceX rolls Booster 19 to Pad 2 for Flight 9, while Falcon 9 completes its 30th mission of 2026.