[JSR] Jonathan's Space Report, No. 805

Jonathan McDowell jcm at planet4589.com
Thu Apr 28 22:24:02 EDT 2022


Jonathan's Space Report
No. 805                                                       2022 Apr 28       Somerville, MA
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

International Space Station
---------------------------

Expedition 67 begin at 0721 UTC on Mar 30.

On Mar 24, two Japanese cubesats (IHI-SAT1 and KITSUNE) were deployed from J-SSOD-21,
extracted from the Kibo airlock by the Japanese RMS arm.

On Mar 30 at 0721 UTC Soyuz MS-19 undocked from the Rassvet module, carrying astronauts
Shkaplerov, Dubrov and Vande Hei on their return journey to Earth. Soyuz MS-19 landed
in Kazakhstan at 1128 UTC.

On Apr 8 SpaceX launched Dragon Endeavour on mission Axiom Ax-1, carrying Axiom Space crew
Mike Lopez-Alegria, Larry Connor, Eytan Stibbe and Mark Pathy. Ax-1 reached the Waypoint 2 hold
point 20 metres from the PMA-3 docking unit at 1137 UTC Apr 9; software issues delayed the final
approach until 1225 UTC. Endeavour docked with the IDA-3 adapter at 1229 UTC.

On Apr 18 astronauts Artem'ev and Matveev made spacewalk VKD-52 from the Poisk module
to outfit the European Robotic Arm on the Nauka module. They installed the EMMI external
control panel and a payload mount. The airlock was depressurized from 1433 to 2145 UTC
and the hatch was open from 1501 to 2137 UTC.

Following weather delays, Endeavour undocked from PMA-3 at 0110 UTC Apr
25, completing Ax-1's visit to ISS. Ax-1 landed off the coast of Florida
near 80.25W 30.92N at 1706 UTC Apr 25.

Dragon C212 'Freedom' was launched on Apr 27 for the Crew-4 mission, with 
astronauts Lindgren, Hines, Cristoforetti and Watkins. Freedom docked with port IDA-3
at 2237 UTC Apr 27.

On Apr 28 Artem'ev and Matveev made spacewalk VKD-53 to continue ERA robot arm activation.
Poisk was depressurized from 1436 to 2247 UTC and the hatch was opened from 1448 to 2240 UTC.
The ERA was checked out, including a test of walking off from one base location on Nauka to another.
At 1645 UTC a bundle of thermal insulation removed from the arm was thrown into space; it is likely
to be cataloged as 1998-067TM.


Chinese Space Station
----------------------

The Tianzhou-2 cargo ship undocked from the Tianhe module at 0759 UTC Mar 27 and
at around 1430 UTC maneuvered from a 373 x 383 km x 41.47 deg to a 377 x 432 km x 41.47 deg orbit.
Tianzhou-2 was deorbited on Mar 31 at 1040 UTC with reentry over the South Pacific.

Shenzhou 13 undocked from the Tianhe nadir port at 1644 UTC Apr 15 with the
station crew (Zhai, Yang and Ye) and landed near 41 39N 100 09E
in the Dongfeng Landing Site at about 0156:37 UTC. The orbital module
was jettisoned prior to deorbit but has not yet been cataloged.

The Tianzhou-3 cargo ship undocked from Tianhe aft port at 2102 UTC Apr 19 and redocked
with the forward port at 0106 UTC Apr 20.

Starlink
---------

Group 4-12, with 53 satellites, was launched from Canaveral on Mar 19.
Group 4-14, with 53 satellites, was launched from Cape Canaveral on Apr 21.

Erratum: Group 4-9 had 47 satellites, not 49.

Meridian-M
----------

On Mar 22 Russia launched Meridian No. 20L, a Meridian-M military communications sat
built by ISS Reshetnev.

Hwasongpho-17
--------------

On Mar 24 North Korea launched a Hwasongpho-17 missile from Sunan
Airport on a suborbital trajectory with near-orbital energy. The vehicle
reached an apogee of 6200 km and splashed down outside Japanese
territorial waters about 200 km to the west of the Tsugaru Strait.

Note: Colin Zwirko and other analysts have presented evidence suggesting
that the missile launched was actually the same as the Hwasong-15,
and not the same as the 'true Hwasong-17' involved in a failed launch
on Mar 16. For now, I am still using the missile name used by the North Koreans:
they're allowed to rename the HS-15 as 'HS-17' if they want. But if the analysis holds
up, I'll distinguish it in my launch vehicle tables from the 'true HS-17'. 
Things will probably be clearer following further launches.

CZ-6A
-----

The first Chang Zheng 6A was launched by SAST on Mar 29. The rocket is also referred
to as 'Chang Zheng 6 Gao' (Improved CZ-6). It has 4 strapon solid boosters,
and two LOX-kerosene core stages.

The rocket placed two satellites in orbit: CASIC's Tiankun-2 and SAST's Pujiang-2.


CZ-11
-----

CALT launched a Chang Zheng 11 on Mar 30. The rocket placed a cluster of three passive
Tianping-2 calibration satellites in orbit.

Astra
-----

It now turns out that 20 SpaceBEEs were launched on Astra LV0009, four of which
were New Zealand-flagged SpaceBEE-NZs.

Transporter 4
-------------

On Apr 1 SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 carrying the Transporter 4 stack with the German ENMAP
hyperspectral imaging satellite and a collection of smaller satellites.
After launch at 1624 UTC, the first stage landed on the droneship Just Read The Instructions
after an unusually high apogee trajectory, and the second stage reached an initial 636 x 651 km
orbit at 1634 UTC. The ENMAP, LEO-1 and GNOMES-3 satellites were deployed in this orbit.
Two further burns at 1652 and 1732 UTC lowered the second stage orbit to 496 x 510 km.
The remaining satellites were deployed between 1738 and 1750 UTC; the final deployment
was D-Orbit's ION SCV-005, which caries further satellites for later deployment.

ION SVC-005, nicknamed Almighty Alexius, deployed PlantSat and two Kleos
satellites on Apr 9 and Apr 11.


Electron 25
------------

RocketLab launched the 25th Electron from New Zealand on Apr 2, placing two more BlackSky imaging
satellites in orbit.

GF3-03
-------

The third Gao Fen 3 radar satellite was launched on Apr 7 into the same 06:00 local time orbital plane as the
previous two satellites in the series.

Kosmos-2554
-----------

Russia launched an electronic intelligence satellite, Lotos-S1 No. 806 (code named Kosmos-2554), on Apr 7.
The satellite went to an initial 239 x 900 km orbit, but circularized it to 899 x 909 km on Apr  9.

ZX-6D
-----

The Zhongxing-6D communications satellite was launched to geotransfer orbit on Apr 15. It is intended to
replace ZX-6A. As of Apr 28 the satlelite was in geostationary orbit at 130E.

DQ-1
----

The Daqi Huanjing Jiance Weixing, Atmosphere Environment Monitoring
Satellite, is a research satellite with a lidar to monitor atmospheric
CO2. It was launched on Apr 15 to a sun-sync orbit in the 01:35 local time
orbital plane.

USA 327
-------

On Apr 17 SpaceX launched NRO mission NROL-85 to a 63.5 deg orbit, probably around 1000 km altitude.
The Falcon 9 upper stage was deorbited. The USA 237 payload is probably part of the INTRUDER signals intelligence
system. On previous launches, the Space Force has cataloged a second payload as 'debris',
(which was not very convincing as the 'debris' has been observed to carry out orbital manuevers).
However, no second payload has yet appeared on this mission.

Chinese satellite orbit changes
--------------------------------

Shiyan 9 and Shiyan 10, launched to elliptical transfer orbit last year, have both
made major orbital maneuvers.

Early in March Shiyan 10, launched in Sep 2021, changed its orbit from
1019 x 40178 km x 51.1 deg to 1853 x 38878 km x 63.6 deg, and then on
Apr 7 to a synchronized 1484 x 38877 km x 63.6 deg Molniya orbit.

On Mar 20 Shiyan 9 was still in the 486 x 35796 km x 19.7 deg orbit it was stuck in since
Mar 2021, but on Mar 30 it was found in a 35733 x 35849 km x 19.7 deg inclined geosynchronous orbit at 
longitude 145E.


Table of Recent Orbital Launches
 ----------------------------------

Date UT       Name			     Launch Vehicle	 Site		 Mission  INTL.  Catalog  Perigee Apogee  Incl	 Notes
Mar  1 1438   GOES T                            Atlas V 541              Canaveral SLC41 Weather  21A  8896 x 35276 x  9.4
Mar  3 1425   Starlink 3503-3504                Falcon 9                 Kennedy LC39A   Comms    22A   304 x   315 x 53.2
              Starlink 3508
              Starlink 3519
              Starlink 3536
              Starlink 3539
              Starlink 3541-3542
              Starlink 3545
              Starlink 3547-3549
              Starlink 3551
              Starlink 3553-3556
              Starlink 3559-3560
              Starlink 3562-3568
              Starlink 3570-3572
              Starlink 3574-3579
              Starlink 3582-3585
              Starlink 3587-3588
              Starlink 3590-3591
              Starlink 3593-3595
              Starlink 3597-3598
Mar  5 0601   Yinhe 2-01                         Chang Zheng 2C            Xichang        Comms  23A S51946 480 x 502 x 63.4
              Yinhe 2-02                                                                  Comms  23B S51947 480 x 502 x 63.4
              Yinhe 2-03                                                                  Comms  23C S51948 480 x 502 x 63.4
              Yinhe 2-04                                                                  Comms  23D S51949 480 x 502 x 63.4
              Yinhe 2-05                                                                  Comms  23E S51950 480 x 502 x 63.4
              Yinhe 2-06                                                                  Comms  23F S51951 480 x 502 x 63.4
              Xuanming                                                                   Imaging 23G S51952 480 x 502 x 63.4
Mar  8 0506?  Noor 2                             Qased                     Shahroud      Imaging 24A S51954 495 x 513 x 58.3
Mar  9 1345   Starlink 3538                      Falcon 9                  Canaveral LC40 Comms  25A        301 x 315 x 53.2
              Starlink 3589
              Starlink 3618
              Starlink 3635-3636
              Starlink 3640
              Starlink 3642-3645
              Starlink 3647-3657
              Starlink 3659-3660
              Starlink 3663-3664
              Starlink 3666-3669
              Starlink 3671-3672
              Starlink 3674-3675
              Starlink 3677
              Starlink 3679-3681
              Starlink 3689-3692
              Starlink 3694-3697
              Starlink 3699-3700
              Starlink 3704
Mar 15 1622   S4-CROSSOVER               )      Astra                      Kodiak LP3B    Comms  26A  470 x 537 x 97.5
              ORESAT0                    )                                                Tech 
              SpaceBEE 112 to 127        )                                                Comms
              SpaceBEE NZ-11 to NZ-14    )                                                Comms
Mar 17 0709   Yaogan 34-02                      Chang Zheng 4C             Jiuquan        Imaging   27A 1092 x 1097 x 63.4
Mar 18 1555   Soyuz MS-21                       Soyuz-2-1a                 Baykonur LC31  Spaceship 28A  200 x 224 x 51.7
Mar 19 0442   Starlink 3534                     Falcon 9                   Canaveral LC40 Comms     29A  303 x 317 x 53.2
              Starlink 3537
              Starlink 3558
              Starlink 3658
              Starlink 3661-3662
              Starlink 3665
              Starlink 3670
              Starlink 3673
              Starlink 3676
              Starlink 3678
              Starlink 3682
              Starlink 3684
              Starlink 3685
              Starlink 3687
              Starlink 3693
              Starlink 3698
              Starlink 3701-3703
              Starlink 3705-3723
              Starlink 3725-3727
              Starlink 3729-3738
              Starlink 3743
Mar 22 1248   Meridian No. 20L                   Soyuz-2-1a/Fregat         Plesetsk LC43/4  Comms   30A  973 x 39767 x 62.8
Mar 24 0900   IHI-SAT                                                   ISS, LEO          Comms/Tech 98067TJ
Mar 24 1210   KITSUNE                                                   ISS, LEO            Comms    98067TK
Mar 24 0534   HS-17 RV                           Hwasongpho-17             Sunan            Test     U01 -6249 x 6239 x 41.3
Mar 29 0950   Tiankun-2                          Chang Zheng 6A            Taiyuan LC9A     Tech     31A   589 x 603 x 97.8
              Pujiang-2                                                                     Sci/Img  31B
Mar 30 0229   Tianping-2A                        Chang Zheng 11            Jiuquan          Cal      32A   581 x 603 x 97.8
              Tianping-2B                                                                   Cal      32B
              Tianping-2C                                                                   Cal      32C
Apr  1 1624   Transporter 4                      Falcon 9                  Canaveral LC40   Deployer  33 
              ION SCV 005                                                                   Deployer 33    496 x 510 x 97.4
              ENMAP                                                                         Imaging  33C?  636 x 651 x 98.0
              LEO-1                                                                         Comms    33
              GNOMES-3                                                                      Comms    33
              ARCSAT                                                                        Sigint   33
              Alfa Crux                                                                     Tech     33D   499 x 511 x 97.4
              Shakuntala                                                                    Imaging  33S   492 x 509 x 97.4
              BDSAT                                                                         Tech     33
              BRO-7                                                                         Sigint   33
              Nusat-23                                                                      Imaging  33M
              Nusat-24                                                                      Imaging  33X
              Nusat-25                                                                      Imaging  33Q
              Nusat-26                                                                      Imaging  33
              Nusat-27                                                                      Imaging  33R  
              Hawk 4A                                                                       Sigint   33L
              Hawk 4B                                                                       Sigint   33J
              Hawk 4C                                                                       Sigint   33P
              MP42                                                                          Tech     33
              Lynk 5                                                                        Comms    33F
              SpaceBEE 128-137                                                              Comms    33
Apr  2 1241   BlackSky Global 18                 Electron                  Mahia LC1A       Imaging  34B   430 x 441 x 53.0
              BlackSky Global 20                                                            Imaging  34C
Apr  6 2347   Gao Fen 3-03                       Chang Zheng 4C            Jiuquan          Radar    35A   737 x 746 x 98.4
Apr  7 1120   Kosmos-2554                        Soyuz-2-1b                Plesetsk LC43/3  Sigint   36A   239 x 900 x 67.1
Apr  8 1517   Axiom-1 (Endeavour)                Falcon 9                  Kennedy LC39A    Spaceship 37A  414 x 420 x 51.6
Apr  9 1422   PlantSat                                             ION SVC005, LEO          Sci     033AH
Apr 11 0713   KSF2-C                                               ION SVC005, LEO          Sci     033AJ
Apr 11 1816   KSF2-D                                               ION SVC005, LEO          Sci     033AK
Apr 14?       SUCHAI-2                                             ION SVC005, LEO          Sci     033AM
Apr 14?       SUCHAI-3                                             ION SVC005, LEO          Sci     033AL
Apr 15 1200   Zhongxing-6D                       Chang Zheng 3B            Xichang          Comms    38A  231 x 35765 x 28.5
Apr 15 1816   Daqi Huanjing Jiance Weixing       Chang Zheng 4C            Taiyuan          Sci      39A  680 x 690 x 98.1
Apr 17 1313   USA 327 P/L 1 (INTRUDER)           Falcon 9                  Vandenberg SLC4E Sigint   40A 1008 x 1207 x 63.4
Apr 21 1751   Starlink                           Falcon 9                  Canaveral SLC40  Comms    41A  304 x 318 x 53.2
Apr 27 0752   SpX Crew-4 (Freedom)               Falcon 9                  Kennedy LC39A   Spaceship 42A  191 x 211 x 51.7

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

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

Mar  4 2348   Recon test?       Hwasong-8 LV?      Sunan                 Test          550       Sea of Japan
Mar  5 1127   LAMP              Black Brant IX     Poker Flat            Auroral       429       Alaska
Mar  9 1825   HERSCHEL          Black Brant IX     White Sands           Solar UV      302       White Sands
Mar 12        Target            Black Dagger       Ft Wingate            Target        100?      White Sands
Mar 21 2312   BOLT-2            Terrier Malemute   Wallops I             Hypersonic    281       Atlantic
Mar 29        FTT-21 Target     Black Dagger       Ft Wingate            Target        100?      White Sands
Mar 30        Dummy payload     Hyunmoo TLV       SIRIUS, Anhueng        Test          150?      E China Sea?
Mar 31 1358   NS-20             New Shepard        West Texas           Tourist flight 107       West Texas
Apr  7 1247   INCAA 1           Terrier Malemute   Poker Flat            Auroral       340       PF Range
Apr  7 1250   INCAA 2           Black Brant IX     Poker Flat            Auroral       208       PF Range
Apr  9        RV                Shaheen 3          Somniani?             Op Test       500?      Arabian Sea
Apr 18        SLBM RV           Hyunmoo 4-4       SS-083, Anhueng        Test          150?      E China Sea?
Apr 18        SLBM RV           Hyunmoo 4-4       SS-083, Anhueng        Test          150?      E China Sea?
Apr 20 1212   RV                Sarmat             Plesetsk              Test         1000?      Kura

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