![[AUTO] Long March 2C/SD - image](/media?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthespacedevs-prod.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com%2Fmedia%2Fimages%2Flong_march_2c-i_image_20210908194304.jpeg&w=1600)
China Aerospace CorporationLong March 2C/SDLaunch Complex 7, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Iridium 76 & 78
Launched
August 19, 1998
Summary
Iridium 76 & 78 launched on a China Aerospace Corporation Long March 2C/SD from Launch Complex 7, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China on August 19, 1998. It was China Aerospace Corporation's 24th launch, 5th this year and humanity's 4,257th orbital launch attempt. It was the 5th Long March 2C/SD flight and the 3rd this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Iridium 3, one of 8 catalogued objects, reached a 186 × 666 km orbit inclined 86.4°. 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
- 5th Long March 2C/SD flight · 3rd this yearChina Aerospace Corporation's 24th launch5th this yearhumanity's 4,257th orbital launch attempt50th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Iridium 3 · NORAD 25431 · 1998-048 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 8 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- IRIDIUM 03
- Object ID
- 1998-048A
- Epoch
- 1998-08-20 01:35:04 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.49377212 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0353255
- Inclination
- 86.3731°
- Ascending node
- 248.9944°
- Arg. of perigee
- 170.2971°
- Mean anomaly
- 190.6041°
- 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
8 catalogued: 2 payloads, 1 rocket stage, 5 components; none still in orbit
- Iridium 3 · NORAD 25431 · re-entered February 8, 2018
- Iridium 76 · NORAD 25432 · re-entered August 28, 2018
CZ-2C-SD Y5 Stage 2 · re-entered September 21, 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
7th launch from Launch Complex 7, 3rd this year · 7th 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
109 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 76 & 78 launch?
Iridium 76 & 78 launched on August 19, 1998. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Iridium 76 & 78?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Iridium 76 & 78?
Long March 2C/SD, flown by China Aerospace Corporation. Long March 2C/SD spec sheet
Where did Iridium 76 & 78 launch from?
Launch Complex 7, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China.
What orbit did Iridium 76 & 78 reach?
Iridium 3, one of 8 catalogued objects, reached a 186 × 666 km orbit inclined 86.4°.
How many satellites did Iridium 76 & 78 launch?
2 payloads from this launch are catalogued, none of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).
Which program is Iridium 76 & 78 part of?
Iridium Constellation. About Iridium Constellation