Monday, February 17, 2020

Jonathan's Space Report, No. 775

Jonathan's Space Report
No. 775                                                       2020 Feb 17  Somerville, MA
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International Space Station
---------------------------

Expedition 61 continued until undocking of Soyuz MS-13 on Feb 6, which began Expedition 62
under the command of Oleg Skripochka.

On Jan 29 the Cyclops deployer was used to deploy the USAF STPSAT-4
satellite delivered to ISS aboard NG-12. STPSAT-4/Cyclops was extracted
from the Kibo airlock and STPSAT-4 was ejected into orbit at 0720 UTC
Jan 29.

On Jan 31 at about 1115 UTC the Canadarm-2 unberthed Cygnus NG-12, the S.S. Alan Bean,
from the Unity nadir port. Cygnus NG-12 was released into orbit at 1436 UTC.

On Jan 31 to Feb 1 Cygnus NG-12 released seven cubesats from the Nanoracks NRCSD-E dispenser and
seven cubesats from the SEOPS/SpaceflightInc Slingshot system.

On Feb 6, Soyuz MS-13 undocked from Poisk at 0550 UTC carrying Skvortsov, Koch and Parmitano.
The spacecraft fired its deorbit engine at 0818 UTC, lowering perigee below the Earth's surface.
At 0846 UTC the orbital and service modules were jettisoned, and at 0850 UTC the descent module
began reentry, with landing in Kazakhstan at 0912 UTC Feb 6.

On Feb 15 Cygnus mission NG-13, the S.S. Robert Lawrence, was launched on an Antares from
Wallops Island on a mission to deliver cargo to the ISS.


NROL-151
--------

RocketLab flew its 11th Electron mission from New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula on Jan 31.
It placed a satellite for the US National Reconnaissance Office in low Earth orbit
with approximately 70 degrees inclination. The mission was designated NROL-151 and the
satellite is codenamed USA 294. Exact orbit of NROL-151 is not yet known. US registration
documents supplied to the UN are apparently stuck in a backlog - the latest made public
online covers up to early 2017.

OneWeb
------

The second launch for the OneWeb constellation took off from Baykonur on Feb 6.
The Fregat upper stage carried a dispenser with 34 satellites, two on a `top hat'
deck K and four decks A, B, C, D with eight satellites each. The satellites were deployed
in a 443 km orbit and will use their on-board propulsion to raise to 1000 km.
(Spacecraft numbers in the table below are in deployment order; thanks to Cameron Meek for data.)

IGS O-7
-------

Japan's IGS O-7 (Information Gathering Satellite/Optical 7, or Joho shushu eisei kogaku 7 goki,
was launched on Feb 9 to sun-sync orbit with 1030 local time descending node.

Solar Orbiter
-------------

The ESA-led Solar Orbiter probe, built by Airbus UK, was launched to an escape trajectory on Feb 10.
Solar Orbiter will enter a 0.513 x 0.991 AU x 1.9 deg solar orbit and make a Venus gravity assist
flyby on Dec 26. After more Venus and Earth flybys it will lower perihelion to about 0.3 AU
by 2022 and by 2028 will increase its orbital inclination to the ecliptic to 25 degrees, allow
imaging of the solar poles. Unlike Parker Solar Probe (which gets closer to the Sun) SO carries a
range of imaging instruments.

X-37 Secret Deployment
-----------------------

Sometime between 2017 and 2019 the US DoD covertly deployed three small
satellites from the orbiting X-37 spaceplane. Those satellites have
finally been added to the US satellite catalog as USA 295-297 (SSN
45169-45171) although with no orbital data provided. A page on Space-Track.org noted
that the three satellites are no longer in orbit; this adds weight to my guess that
they were deployed close to the beginning of the OTV-5 mission in 2017.

I welcome this step of acknowledging the satellites and  hope that the
US will bring itself back into compliance with the UN Registration
Convention by providing basic orbital parameters for the satellites, even though
they are no longer up.

Simorgh
--------

Iran launched a Simorgh rocket from Khomeini Space Centre on Feb 9. The upper stage
underperformed or failed, and the payload - an imaging satellite called Zafar - fell in the
Indian Ocean after reaching a 540 km apogee.



Errata
--------

- There is still some confusion about which spacesuits were on which astronaut for the
recent EVAs. In particular, Andrey Krasilnikov tells me for EVA 64 it was
Morgan - EMU 3008 and Parmitano - EMU 3004.

- I put the wrong orbit in last time for Yinhe 1, it's in a 621 x 638 km orbit.

Table of Recent Orbital Launches
 ----------------------------------
Date UT       Name            Launch Vehicle        Site            Mission       INTL.   Catalog  Perigee Apogee  Incl   Notes

Jan  7 0219   Starlink 1066      )       Falcon 9            Canaveral SLC40  Comms    01AS S44954   301 x   305 x 53.0
              Starlink 1069-1104 )                                            Comms    )
              Starlink 1106-1119 )                                            Comms    )
              Starlink 1121-1126 )                                            Comms    )
              Starlink 1128      )                                            Comms    ) 01A-01BM
              Starlink 1130      )                                            Comms    ) 44914-
              Starlink 1144      )                                            Comms    ) 44973
Jan  7 1520   TJS 5                      Chang Zheng 3B      Xichang          Comms    02A S44978    195 x 35804 x 27.5
Jan 15 0253   Jilin-1 Kuanfu 1 )         Chang Zheng 2D      Taiyuan          Imaging  03A S45016    477 x   492 x 97.3
              Sophie           )                                              Imaging  03B S45017    475 x   492 x 97.3
              Marie            )                                              Imaging  03C S45018    477 x   493 x 97.3
              Tianqi-5         )                                              Comms    03D?S45019    475 x   492 x 97.3
Jan 16 0302   Yinhe 1                    Kuaizhou 1A         Jiuquan          Comms    04A S45024    621 x   638 x 86.4
Jan 16 2105   Eutelsat Konnect )         Ariane 5ECA         Kourou ELA3      Comms    05B S45027    499 x 36234 x  6.0
              GSAT-30          )                                              Comms    05A S45026  35775 x 35799 x  0.1
Jan 29 0720   STPSAT-4                                       ISS, LEO         Tech  9867QY S45043    415 x   423 x 51.6
Jan 29 1406   Starlink 1120     )        Falcon 9            Canaveral SLC40  Comms    )
              Starlink 1127     )                                             Comms    )
              Starlink 1129     )                                             Comms    )
              Starlink 1131-1137)                                             Comms    ) 06A-06BM    276 x   291 x 53.0
              Starlink 1139-1142)                                             Comms    )
              Starlink 1145-1153)                                             Comms    )
              Starlink 1155-1186)                                             Comms    )
              Starlink 1190     )                                             Comms    )
              Starlink 1193-1196)                                             Comms    )
Jan 31 0256   USA 294                    Electron            Mahia LC1        Unknown  07A 45110   Unknown orbit x 70.0?
Jan 31?       Aerocube-14A )                             NRCSD-E/NG-12, LEO   Tech  19071D  S45114   459 x  474 x 51.6
              Aerocube-14B )                                                  Tech  19071E? S45115   459 x  474 x 51.6
Jan 31?       Aerocube-15A )                             NRCSD-E/NG-12, LEO   Tech  19071F? S45116   459 x  474 x 51.6
              Aerocube-15B )                                                  Tech  19071G  S45117   459 x  474 x 51.6
Jan 31 2230?  SwampSat-2 )                               NRCSD-E/NG-12, LEO   Tech  19071J  S45119   459 x  474 x 51.6
              HuskySat-1 )                                                    Tech  19071C  S45113   459 x  474 x 51.6
Jan 31?       Orbital Factory 2                          NRCSD-E/NG-12, LEO   Tech  19071H? S45118   459 x  474 x 51.6
Feb  1 1544   CIRiS                                      Slingshot/NG-12,LEO  Sci   19071K? S45120?  458 x  474 x 51.6
Feb  1 1943   ORCA-2                                     Slingshot/NG-12,LEO  Tech  19071L? S45121?  459 x  473 x 51.6
Feb  1 2115   EdgeCube   )                               Slingshot/NG-12,LEO  Rem.sen. 19071M? S45122? 459 x  473 x 51.6
              MakerSat-1?)                                                    Tech  19071N? S45123?  459 x  473 x 51.6
Feb  1?       MiniCarb                                   Slingshot/NG-12,LEO  Sci   19071P? S45124?  459 x  473 x 51.6
Feb  1?       VPM                                        Slingshot/NG-12,LEO  Sci   19071Q? S45125?  459 x  473 x 51.6
Feb  1?       Lynk                                       Slingshot/NG-12,LEO  Comms 19071R? S45126?  459 x  473 x 51.6
Feb  6 2142   OneWeb 0013 )               Soyuz 2-1B/Fregat  Baykonur LC31    Comms    08A  S45131   439 x  460 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0021 )                                                   Comms    08D  S45134   439 x  464 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0028 )                                                   Comms    08K  S45140   440 x  465 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0026 )                                                   Comms    08J  S45139   440 x  465 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0020 )                                                   Comms    08C  S45133   449 x  466 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0051 )                                                   Comms    08AA S45155   440 x  466 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0059 )                                                   Comms    08AH S45162   442 x  467 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0036 )                                                   Comms    08P  S45144   443 x  467 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0032 )                                                   Comms    08L  S45141   443 x  468 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0058 )                                                   Comms    08AG S45161   444 x  468 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0022 )                                                   Comms    08E  S45135   446 x  467 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0024 )                                                   Comms    08G  S45137   447 x  467 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0044 )                                                   Comms    08V  S45150   447 x  467 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0041 )                                                   Comms    08T  S45148   448 x  468 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0039 )                                                   Comms    08R  S45146   448 x  468 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0047 )                                                   Comms    08X  S45152   448 x  468 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0056 )                                                   Comms    08AE S45159   448 x  469 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0062 )                                                   Comms    08AJ S45163   448 x  470 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0057 )                                                   Comms    08AF S45160   448 x  472 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0023 )                                                   Comms    08F  S45136   448 x  472 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0038 )                                                   Comms    08Q  S45145   448 x  473 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0054 )                                                   Comms    08AD S45154   448 x  473 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0049 )                                                   Comms    08Z  S45154   448 x  474 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0035 )                                                   Comms    08N  S45143   449 x  475 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0017 )                                                   Comms    08B  S45132   449 x  475 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0065 )                                                   Comms    08AK S45164   449 x  476 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0025 )                                                   Comms    08H  S45138   451 x  476 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0052 )                                                   Comms    08AB S45156   451 x  476 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0053 )                                                   Comms    08AC S45157   452 x  476 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0040 )                                                   Comms    08S  S45147   452 x  476 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0033 )                                                   Comms    08M  S45142   453 x  476 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0045 )                                                   Comms    08W  S45151   454 x  476 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0048 )                                                   Comms    08Y  S45153   454 x  476 x 87.4
              OneWeb 0043 )                                                   Comms    08U  S45149   455 x  476 x 87.4
Feb  9 0134   IGS O-7                     H-IIA              Tanegashima      Imaging  09A  S45165   477? x 506?x 97.4?
Feb  9 1515   Zafar                       Simorgh            Khomeini         Imaging  F01  F01548 -2000? x 540 x 55
Feb 10 0403   Solar Orbiter               Atlas V 411        Canaveral LC41   Probe    10A  S45167   240  x-38671x32.9
Feb 15 2021   S.S. Robert Lawrence        Antares 230+       Wallops MARS LA0A Cargo   11A  S45175   195 x  267 x 51.6

Table of Recent Suborbital Launches
-----------------------------------

On Jan 7 Iran launched a series of Zulfiqar and Qiam-1 missiles against US military targets in Iraq.
The exact number and mix of missiles is unknown.


Date UT       Payload/Flt Name Launch Vehicle      Site                  Mission    Apogee/km    Target

Jan  7 2245?  HE Warhead        Zulfiqar             ?, Iran             Weapon        100?      Al Asad, Iraq
Jan  7 2245?  HE Warhead        Zulfiqar             ?, Iran             Weapon        100?      Erbil, Iraq
Jan  7 2245?  HE Warhead        Zulfiqar             ?, Iran             Weapon        100?      Al Asad, Iraq
Jan  7 2245?  HE Warhead        Zulfiqar             ?, Iran             Weapon        100?      Al Asad, Iraq
Jan  7 2245?  HE Warhead        Qiam-1               ?, Iran             Weapon        100?      Al Asad, Iraq
Jan  7 2245?  HE Warhead        Qiam-1               ?, Iran             Weapon        100?      Al Asad, Iraq
Jan  7 2315?  HE Warhead        Zulfiqar             ?, Iran             Weapon        100?      Al Asad, Iraq
Jan  7 2315?  HE Warhead        Zulfiqar             ?, Iran             Weapon        100?      Erbil, Iraq
Jan  7 2315?  HE Warhead        Qiam-1               ?, Iran             Weapon        100?      Erbil, Iraq
Jan  9 0800   S-310-45          S-310                Uchinoura           Test          131       Pacific
Jan 19        RV                K-4                  Visakhapatnam       Test          500?      Indian Ocean
Jan 27 1340   Polar NOx 2       Black Brant 9        Poker Flat          Aeronomy      260       Alaska
Feb  5 0833   FTU-2             Minuteman 3          Vandenberg          Test         1300?      Kwajalein
Feb 12        USN RVs           Trident D5LE         USS Maine, Pacific  Test         1000?      Wake Island

-------------------------------------------------------------------------.
|  Jonathan McDowell                 |                                    |
|  Somerville MA 02143               |  inter : planet4589 at gmail       |
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