Jonathan's Space Report
No. 851 draft 2025 Oct 18 Somerville, MA, USA
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ISS
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Expedition 73 continues.
On Oct 26 JAXA launched the HTV-X1 cargo ship. HTV-X is a second generation Japanese ISS cargo
ship. Launch mass about 16000 kg
of which the SM was 3800 kg, the PM 3800 kg, press cargo 4000 kg, external cargo 2000 kg,
consumables 2400 kg. Size is 8.0m long 4.4m dia with 18.2m solar panel span.
It consists of a pressurized module with CBM port, a service module (built at MELCO/Kanagawa)
with an IHI-built MMH/NTO propulsion system using twelve 120N HBT-1 thrusters, and
an exposed cargo section.
HTV-X1's exposed cargo section carries the i-SEEP-3B device that will be installed on the
Kibo EFU at EFU5; and the DELIGHT deployable structure test which will be activated after
ISS departure. HTV-X1 also carries an H-SSOD cubesat deployer carrying the 6U Tenkoh-2 cubesat
for Nihon Univ.
Inside HTV-X's pressurized section are cargo bags including a J-SSOD cubesat deployer
to be transferred to the Kibo module, carrying Gxiba-1 (UPAEP Mexico), UiTMSat-2 (UITM, Malaysia),
CORAL (Sapienza, Italy), Knacskat 2 (KMUT, Thailand), LEOPARD (Kyutech), and HMUSAT2 (Hokkaido U of Sci.).
On Oct 28 astronauts Ryzhikov and Zubritskiy, in spacesuits Orlan MKS-7
and MKS-6, made spacewalk VKD-65 from the Poisk airlock on Oct 28, with
hatch open from 1418:01 to 2112:28 UTC and depressurization from 1357 to 2115
UTC. Among other activities they installed the IPI-500 experiment on
the Nauka module.
Chinese Space Station
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The CSS made a 3.2m/s orbit reboost on Oct 17 at about 0947 UTC, probably using the engines
on the Tianzhou-9 freighter.
Starlink launches
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Starlink Group 10-17 (28 Ku sats) was launched on Oct 19 from Canaveral.
Starlink Group 11-19 (28 Ku sats) was launched on Oct 19 from Vandenberg.
Starlink Group 11-5 (28 Ku sats) was launched on Oct 22 from Vandenberg.
Starlink Group 11-12 (28 Ku sats) was launched on Oct 25 from Vandenberg.
Starlink Group 10-21 (28 Ku sats) was launched on Oct 26 from Canaveral.
Starlink Group 11-21 (28 Ku sats) was launched on Oct 28 from Vandenberg.
Other Falcon 9 launches
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On Oct 24 SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 with the Spainsat NG-II military communications satellite
for Hisdesat. The 6100 kg satellite is an Airbus Eurostar NEO.
Chinese commercial launches
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Zhongke Tansuo Jishu (CAS Space) launched a Lijian-1 from Jiuquan on Oct 19 with
a Pakistani hyperspectral satellite and two Zhongke AIRSAT radar satellites,
one purchased by Malaysian company TerraXpace. The satellites were placed in 1000 LTDN SSO.
CAST launches
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On Oct 23 CAST launched a CZ-5 from Wenchang with Tongxin Jishu Shiyan 20 weixing (TJS 20),
likely a GEO sigint payload similar to TJS 11.
On Oct 26 CAST launched a CZ-3B from Xichang with Gao Fen 14 hao 02 xing (GF14-02), a
stereo topographic mapping satellite. Its sibling GF14-01 was launched on 2020 Dec 6 to the same
1030 LTDN orbital plane.
USSF-51
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Another secret subsatellite, USA 567, was released by one of the USSF-51 payloads in GEO drift orbit
in late October.
Table of Recent Orbital (and near-Orbital) Launches
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Date UT Name Launch Vehicle Site Mission INTL. Catalog Perigee Apogee Incl Notes
Oct 13 1000 Shiyan 31 Chang Zheng 2D Jiuquan Imaging 227A 498 x 513 x 80.0
Oct 13 2323 Starship 38 Starship Starbase OLP1 Test U04 -1 x 192 x 26.5?
Oct 14 0158 Kuiper KF-03 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 228 460 x 468 x 51.9
Oct 14 1633 StriX-5 Electron Mahia LC1A Radar 229B 534 x 591 x 41.9
Oct 15 2306 SDA T1TL-C Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Comms 230
Oct 16 0133 WHDW 12-01 to 12-09? Chang Zheng 8A Hainan CSLS LC1 Comms 231 866 x 876 x 50.0
Oct 16 0927 Starlink 10-52 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 232 260 x 270 x 53.2
Oct 16 2139 HRC camera ISS, LEO - 98067XR 416 x 420 x 51.6
Oct 17 0708 Qianfan Jigui 18 zu Chang Zheng 6A Taiyuan LC9A Comms 233
Oct 19 0333 PRSC-HS1 Lijian-1 Jiuquan LC130 Imaging 234 492 x 512 x 97.5
TerraX-01 Radar 234 492 x 512 x 97.5
Beibuwan-01 Radar 234 492 x 512 x 97.5
Oct 19 1739 Starlink 10-17 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 235 260 x 268 x 53.2
Oct 19 1924 Starlink 11-19 Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Comms 236 259 x 271 x 53.2
Oct 22 1416 Starlink 11-5 Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Comms 237 258 x 270 x 53.2
Oct? USA 567 USSF-51, GSO Unk 24134J 35800 x 36000 x 2?
Oct 23 1430 TJS 20 Chang Zheng 5 Wenchang Sigint? 238A 188 x 45770 x 16
Oct 24 0130 Spainsat NG-II Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 239A 409 x 62984 x 26.8
Oct 25 1420 Starlink 11-12 Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Comms 240 263 x 275 x 53.2
Oct 26 0000 HTV-X1 H3-24W Tanegashima LP2 Cargo 241 302 x 334 x 51.6
Oct 26 0355 Gao Fen 14-02 Chang Zheng 3B Xichang Imaging 242A 476 x 491 x 97.4
Oct 26 1500 Starlink 10-21 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 243 263 x 274 x 53.2
Oct 28 0043 Starlink 11-21 Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Comms 244
Table of Recent Suborbital Launches
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Oct 1 0028 JUSTIN HASTE Wallops LA0C Hypersonic 200? Atlantic
Oct 8 1340 NS-36 New Shepard W Texas Tourist 107 W Texas
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| Jonathan McDowell | |
| Somerville MA 02143 | inter : planet4589 at gmail |
| USA | twitter: @planet4589 |
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