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China Aerospace CorporationLong March 2C/SDLaunch Complex 7, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Iridium 42 & 44
Launched
December 8, 1997
Summary
Iridium 42 & 44 launched on a China Aerospace Corporation Long March 2C/SD from Launch Complex 7, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China on December 8, 1997. It was China Aerospace Corporation's 19th launch, 6th this year and humanity's 4,198th orbital launch attempt. It was the 2nd Long March 2C/SD flight. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Iridium 42, one of 8 catalogued objects, reached a 78 × 759 km orbit inclined 86.3°. 8 objects from this launch are catalogued, 2 of them payloads.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Communications · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 2nd Long March 2C/SD flightChina Aerospace Corporation's 19th launch6th this yearhumanity's 4,198th orbital launch attempt80th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Iridium 42 · NORAD 25077 · 1997-077 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 8 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- IRIDIUM 42
- Object ID
- 1997-077A
- Epoch
- 1997-12-08 08:16:58 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.5193638 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0501798
- Inclination
- 86.2673°
- Ascending node
- 121.8276°
- Arg. of perigee
- 158.1417°
- Mean anomaly
- 205.1439°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 0
- 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
8 catalogued: 2 payloads, 1 rocket stage, 5 components; 2 still in orbit
- Iridium 42 · NORAD 25077 · in orbit
- Iridium 44 · NORAD 25078 · in orbit
CZ-2C-SD Y2 Stage 2 · re-entered January 20, 1998
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Iridium provides global mobile telecommunications services using a constellation of 66 low earth orbit satellites in a 86.4° inclined orbit. Although 77 satellites were originally envisioned for the system and spawned the name based on the 77th element in the periodic table, the system has been scaled back. Motorola's Satellite Communications Group designed and manufactured the Iridium satellites with Lockheed Martin providing the LM-700A spacecraft buses.
Pad
Launch Complex 7, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
4th launch from Launch Complex 7, 2nd this year · 4th from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
32 launches from this pad · 162 from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
97 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of ChinaOpen in maps
Questions
When did Iridium 42 & 44 launch?
Iridium 42 & 44 launched on December 8, 1997. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Iridium 42 & 44?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Iridium 42 & 44?
Long March 2C/SD, flown by China Aerospace Corporation. Long March 2C/SD spec sheet
Where did Iridium 42 & 44 launch from?
Launch Complex 7, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China.
What orbit did Iridium 42 & 44 reach?
Iridium 42, one of 8 catalogued objects, reached a 78 × 759 km orbit inclined 86.3°.
How many satellites did Iridium 42 & 44 launch?
2 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 2 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).
Which program is Iridium 42 & 44 part of?
Iridium Constellation. About Iridium Constellation