Observations from Chile suggest that Japan's H3 survived the first orbit and reentered at second perigee, circa 0400 UTC, somewhere over S America along the track shown here
December 22, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Observations from Chile suggest that Japan's H3 survived the first orbit and reentered at second perigee, circa 0400 UTC, somewhere over S America along the track shown here
Space Force just released an "analyst elset" with catalog 85420 for an object in a 109 x 441 km x 30.1 deg orbit that's consistent with the Tanegashima launch.
December 22, 2025 at 5:31 AM
Space Force just released an "analyst elset" with catalog 85420 for an object in a 109 x 441 km x 30.1 deg orbit that's consistent with the Tanegashima launch.
The damaged Starlink satellite, S-35956, has been imaged from a Vantor satellite and shown to be largely intact, despite the detection of debris from it.
December 21, 2025 at 5:55 PM
The damaged Starlink satellite, S-35956, has been imaged from a Vantor satellite and shown to be largely intact, despite the detection of debris from it.
LeoLabs says they see hundreds of debris objects from the Starlink failure event
December 20, 2025 at 3:13 AM
LeoLabs says they see hundreds of debris objects from the Starlink failure event
Hmm - this is odd. After the ONE data point showing S-35956 in a lower orbit, Space Force is now showing it back in the original orbit. Suggests that the low orbit was a mistake - perhaps a debris object and not the main body of the satellite.
December 19, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Hmm - this is odd. After the ONE data point showing S-35956 in a lower orbit, Space Force is now showing it back in the original orbit. Suggests that the low orbit was a mistake - perhaps a debris object and not the main body of the satellite.
According to SpaceX, on Dec 17 one of the Group 11-30 satellites, Starlink 35956 (66629, 2025-271N), suffered a failure
with venting of the propulsion tank and release of some debris objects. This is reflected in a 3km dip in the orbit tracking seen here
with venting of the propulsion tank and release of some debris objects. This is reflected in a 3km dip in the orbit tracking seen here
December 18, 2025 at 9:21 PM
According to SpaceX, on Dec 17 one of the Group 11-30 satellites, Starlink 35956 (66629, 2025-271N), suffered a failure
with venting of the propulsion tank and release of some debris objects. This is reflected in a 3km dip in the orbit tracking seen here
with venting of the propulsion tank and release of some debris objects. This is reflected in a 3km dip in the orbit tracking seen here
I looked at @jfoust.bsky.social 's story on the rendezvous between LEO Express 1 and 2. It appears that there were two periods of close approach, on Oct 30-31 and Nov 15-16. Note: the TLEs are only good to a km or so.
December 16, 2025 at 12:13 AM
I looked at @jfoust.bsky.social 's story on the rendezvous between LEO Express 1 and 2. It appears that there were two periods of close approach, on Oct 30-31 and Nov 15-16. Note: the TLEs are only good to a km or so.
The number of active satellites in orbit has now passed the 14000 mark according to my estimates:
December 15, 2025 at 1:22 PM
The number of active satellites in orbit has now passed the 14000 mark according to my estimates:
This is consistent with Space Force tracking data of the reentry of CZ-7A-Y13 Stage 3, a Chinese rocket stage launched into orit last month which reentered over the Niger/Chad region at 2009 UTC Dec 11.
December 13, 2025 at 5:43 AM
This is consistent with Space Force tracking data of the reentry of CZ-7A-Y13 Stage 3, a Chinese rocket stage launched into orit last month which reentered over the Niger/Chad region at 2009 UTC Dec 11.
I take it back, Mike Collins grew one on Apollo 11
November 23, 2025 at 1:39 AM
I take it back, Mike Collins grew one on Apollo 11
Boston area folks:
Brickbottom Open Art Studios next weekend, Nov 22-23 afternoons, including my exhibit of images from the Smithsonian's telescopes.
Brickbottom Open Art Studios next weekend, Nov 22-23 afternoons, including my exhibit of images from the Smithsonian's telescopes.
November 15, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Boston area folks:
Brickbottom Open Art Studios next weekend, Nov 22-23 afternoons, including my exhibit of images from the Smithsonian's telescopes.
Brickbottom Open Art Studios next weekend, Nov 22-23 afternoons, including my exhibit of images from the Smithsonian's telescopes.
The Chinese station made another orbit reboost on Oct 29, a couple of days before the Shenzhou-21 launch
November 1, 2025 at 7:52 PM
The Chinese station made another orbit reboost on Oct 29, a couple of days before the Shenzhou-21 launch
Chinese astronauts Col. Zhang Lu, Maj. Wu Fei and Dr. Zhang Hongzhang are aboard the Shenzhou-21 spaceship scheduled for launch shortly (1544 UTC)
October 31, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Chinese astronauts Col. Zhang Lu, Maj. Wu Fei and Dr. Zhang Hongzhang are aboard the Shenzhou-21 spaceship scheduled for launch shortly (1544 UTC)
Based on analysis of TLEs, the Chinese Space Station
made a 3.2 m/s reboost on Oct 17 at about 0947 UTC
made a 3.2 m/s reboost on Oct 17 at about 0947 UTC
October 27, 2025 at 2:24 AM
Based on analysis of TLEs, the Chinese Space Station
made a 3.2 m/s reboost on Oct 17 at about 0947 UTC
made a 3.2 m/s reboost on Oct 17 at about 0947 UTC
Via ABC news,
Planet imagery showing the change in the view from space of the White House over the past month
Planet imagery showing the change in the view from space of the White House over the past month
October 24, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Via ABC news,
Planet imagery showing the change in the view from space of the White House over the past month
Planet imagery showing the change in the view from space of the White House over the past month
North Korea's Manligyeong-1 F3 spy sat, launched in 2023, made another orbit reboost on Oct 2, showing that it is still
working.
working.
October 21, 2025 at 10:04 PM
North Korea's Manligyeong-1 F3 spy sat, launched in 2023, made another orbit reboost on Oct 2, showing that it is still
working.
working.
Looks like the UA1093 incident is tentatively confirmed to be a balloon and not space debris, per this exchange on the other site
October 21, 2025 at 3:18 AM
Looks like the UA1093 incident is tentatively confirmed to be a balloon and not space debris, per this exchange on the other site
I haven't seen any official announcement, but TLEs show ISS orbit boost using the Dragon boost trunk did occur as scheduled on Oct 14 at 1812 UTC
October 15, 2025 at 1:43 PM
I haven't seen any official announcement, but TLEs show ISS orbit boost using the Dragon boost trunk did occur as scheduled on Oct 14 at 1812 UTC
SpaceX webcast data consistent with a Starship orbit of -1 x 192 km, with uncertainty of about plus or minus 3 km in the perigee value. The Raptor restart raised perigee to about +52 km (but the vehicle was by then already well past apogee, at 145 km on the way down.)
October 14, 2025 at 2:02 AM
SpaceX webcast data consistent with a Starship orbit of -1 x 192 km, with uncertainty of about plus or minus 3 km in the perigee value. The Raptor restart raised perigee to about +52 km (but the vehicle was by then already well past apogee, at 145 km on the way down.)
A reentry observed over California at 0245 UTC Sep 26 (7.45pm PDT Thu Sep 25) is consistent with Starlink 1586.
September 26, 2025 at 11:51 PM
A reentry observed over California at 0245 UTC Sep 26 (7.45pm PDT Thu Sep 25) is consistent with Starlink 1586.
However, it does match well with Starlink 1586 which also reentered today.
September 26, 2025 at 11:50 PM
However, it does match well with Starlink 1586 which also reentered today.
Starlink 1636, launched in Aug 2020, reentered over Texas last night (Sep 22 0130 UTC / Sep 21 8.30pm CDT) and was observed widely.
September 23, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Starlink 1636, launched in Aug 2020, reentered over Texas last night (Sep 22 0130 UTC / Sep 21 8.30pm CDT) and was observed widely.
Just back from the Camden Intl. Film Festival
in Rockland Maine, where I got to see the US premiere of Julien Elie's new documentary Shifting Baselines
@shiftingbaselines.bsky.social
, in which I make a small appearance.
in Rockland Maine, where I got to see the US premiere of Julien Elie's new documentary Shifting Baselines
@shiftingbaselines.bsky.social
, in which I make a small appearance.
September 14, 2025 at 2:58 AM
Just back from the Camden Intl. Film Festival
in Rockland Maine, where I got to see the US premiere of Julien Elie's new documentary Shifting Baselines
@shiftingbaselines.bsky.social
, in which I make a small appearance.
in Rockland Maine, where I got to see the US premiere of Julien Elie's new documentary Shifting Baselines
@shiftingbaselines.bsky.social
, in which I make a small appearance.
Had fun on Thursday talking about the Boston area space sector at the UK consulate, with proper afternoon tea
September 14, 2025 at 2:47 AM
Had fun on Thursday talking about the Boston area space sector at the UK consulate, with proper afternoon tea
SM005 and SM001's Space Force tracking data put them occasionally within 20 km of each other, but I think this is probably just a tracking mistake and the satellites are being confused with each other?
August 29, 2025 at 4:05 PM
SM005 and SM001's Space Force tracking data put them occasionally within 20 km of each other, but I think this is probably just a tracking mistake and the satellites are being confused with each other?