ArianespaceAriane 44LPAriane Launch Area 2, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
Skynet 4B & Astra 1A
Launched
December 11, 1988
Image: Arianespace
Summary
Skynet 4B & Astra 1A launched on an Arianespace Ariane 44LP from Ariane Launch Area 2, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana on December 11, 1988. It was Arianespace's 26th launch, 7th this year and humanity's 3,367th orbital launch attempt. It was the 2nd Ariane 44LP flight. The payload was bound for Geostationary Orbit (Direct-GEO). The tracked orbit of Skynet 4B, one of 22 catalogued objects, from December 13, 1988, was 34,434 × 35,930 km inclined 3.1°. 22 objects from this launch are catalogued, 2 of them payloads.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Ariane 44LP · Arianespace
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Communications · Geostationary Orbit (Direct-GEO)
- Milestone
- 2nd Ariane 44LP flightArianespace's 26th launch7th this yearhumanity's 3,367th orbital launch attempt114th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Skynet 4B · NORAD 19687 · 1988-109 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 22 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- SKYNET 4B
- Object ID
- 1988-109A
- Epoch
- 1988-12-13 21:48:56 UTC
- Mean motion
- 1.02493134 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0179983
- Inclination
- 3.0942°
- Ascending node
- 273.2437°
- Arg. of perigee
- 348.2211°
- Mean anomaly
- 11.5826°
- 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: Direct-GEO.
Catalogued objects
22 catalogued: 2 payloads, 1 rocket stage, 18 debris, 1 component; 19 still in orbit
- Skynet 4B · NORAD 19687 · in orbit
- Astra 1A · NORAD 19688 · in orbit
Ariane H10 V27 · broke up February 17, 1998
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Geostationary communications satellite
Pad
Ariane Launch Area 2, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
5th launch from Ariane Launch Area 2, 3rd this year · 36th from Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
119 launches from this pad · 336 from Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
93 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Guiana Space Centre, French GuianaOpen in maps
Questions
When did Skynet 4B & Astra 1A launch?
Skynet 4B & Astra 1A launched on December 11, 1988. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Skynet 4B & Astra 1A?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Skynet 4B & Astra 1A?
Ariane 44LP, flown by Arianespace. Ariane 44LP spec sheet
Where did Skynet 4B & Astra 1A launch from?
Ariane Launch Area 2, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana.
What orbit did Skynet 4B & Astra 1A reach?
The tracked orbit of Skynet 4B, one of 22 catalogued objects, from December 13, 1988, was 34,434 × 35,930 km inclined 3.1°.
How many satellites did Skynet 4B & Astra 1A launch?
2 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 2 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).