ExPaceKuaizhou 1ALaunch Area 95A, Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
KL-Alpha
Launched
November 17, 2019
Image: CASIC
Summary
KL-Alpha A & B launched on an ExPace Kuaizhou 1A from Launch Area 95A, Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China on November 17, 2019. It was ExPace's 5th launch, 3rd this year and humanity's 5,902nd orbital launch attempt. It was the 5th Kuaizhou 1A flight and the 3rd this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). KL-Alpha-A, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 1,051 × 1,065 km orbit inclined 88.9°. 3 objects from this launch are catalogued, 2 of them payloads.
- Vehicle
- Kuaizhou 1A · ExPace
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Communications · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 5th Kuaizhou 1A flight · 3rd this yearExPace's 5th launch3rd this yearhumanity's 5,902nd orbital launch attempt82nd orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
KL-Alpha-A · NORAD 44785 · 2019-077 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 3 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- KL-ALPHA A
- Object ID
- 2019-077A
- Epoch
- 2019-11-17 18:11:23 UTC
- Mean motion
- 13.55765648 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0009118
- Inclination
- 88.9126°
- Ascending node
- 128.0738°
- Arg. of perigee
- 275.088°
- Mean anomaly
- 84.9241°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 5
- 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: 2 payloads, 1 rocket stage; 2 still in orbit
- KL-Alpha-A · NORAD 44785 · in orbit
- KL-Alpha-B · NORAD 44786 · in orbit
KZ-1A Y7 Stage 4 · re-entered December 14, 2024
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
KL-Alpha A and B are two experimental Ka-band communications satellites built by CAST for the German company KLEO Connect, serving as test spacecraft for a planned low-Earth-orbit broadband constellation.
Pad
Launch Area 95A, Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
16th launch from Launch Area 95A, 8th this year · 122nd from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
68 launches from this pad · 299 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
4 days 6 hours after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of ChinaOpen in maps
Questions
When did KL-Alpha A & B launch?
KL-Alpha A & B launched on November 17, 2019. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch KL-Alpha A & B?
Coverage: Kuaizhou-1A launches KL-α-A and KL-α-B satellites. Watch the replay
What rocket launched KL-Alpha A & B?
Kuaizhou 1A, flown by ExPace. Kuaizhou 1A spec sheet
Where did KL-Alpha A & B launch from?
Launch Area 95A, Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China.
What orbit did KL-Alpha A & B reach?
KL-Alpha-A, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 1,051 × 1,065 km orbit inclined 88.9°.
How many satellites did KL-Alpha A & B launch?
2 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 2 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).