Strategic Rocket ForcesStart-15, Svobodny Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
EarlyBird
Launched
December 24, 1997
Image: Puskovie Uslugi
Summary
EarlyBird launched on a Strategic Rocket Forces Start-1 from 5, Svobodny Cosmodrome, Russian Federation on December 24, 1997. It was Strategic Rocket Forces's 7th launch, 5th this year and humanity's 4,206th orbital launch attempt. It was the 2nd Start-1 flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). EarlyBird, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 486 × 496 km orbit inclined 97.3°. 3 objects from this launch are catalogued, one of them a payload.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Start-1 · Strategic Rocket Forces
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Earth Science · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 2nd Start-1 flight · 1st this yearStrategic Rocket Forces's 7th launch5th this yearhumanity's 4,206th orbital launch attempt88th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
EarlyBird · NORAD 25123 · 1997-085 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 3 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- EARLY BIRD
- Object ID
- 1997-085A
- Epoch
- 1997-12-24 14:57:04 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.27268408 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0006804
- Inclination
- 97.2963°
- Ascending node
- 74.5063°
- Arg. of perigee
- 104.2164°
- Mean anomaly
- 255.656°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 1
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
3 catalogued: 1 payload, 1 rocket stage, 1 component; none still in orbit
- EarlyBird · NORAD 25123 · re-entered July 27, 2000
Start-1 (N2) Stage 4 · re-entered December 12, 2000
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
EarlyBird 1, a remote sensing satellite built by CTA Space Systems (now part of Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC)) for EarthWatch, Inc., was to provide high resolution commercial imagery. EarthWatch planed to offer black-and-white images with a resolution as high as 3 meters per pixel, and color images with a resolution of 15 meters per pixel. The imaging sensor was derived from NASA's cancelled Clark satellite.
Pad
5, Svobodny Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
2nd launch from 5, 2nd this year · 2nd from Svobodny Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
5 launches from this pad · 5 from Svobodny Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
295 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Svobodny Cosmodrome, Russian FederationOpen in maps
Questions
When did EarlyBird launch?
EarlyBird launched on December 24, 1997. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch EarlyBird?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched EarlyBird?
Start-1, flown by Strategic Rocket Forces. Start-1 spec sheet
Where did EarlyBird launch from?
5, Svobodny Cosmodrome, Russian Federation.
What orbit did EarlyBird reach?
EarlyBird, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 486 × 496 km orbit inclined 97.3°.
How many satellites did EarlyBird launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, no longer in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).