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United Launch AllianceDelta II 7320-10CSpace Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
SMAP, FIREBIRD II A, FIREBIRD II B, GRIFEX, ExoCube
Launched
January 31, 2015
Summary
SMAP, FIREBIRD II A, FIREBIRD II B, GRIFEX, ExoCube launched on an United Launch Alliance Delta II 7320-10C from Space Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA on January 31, 2015. It was United Launch Alliance's 94th launch, 2nd this year and humanity's 5,445th orbital launch attempt. It was the 6th Delta II 7320-10C flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO). SMAP, one of 5 catalogued objects, reached a 668 × 693 km orbit inclined 98.1°. 5 objects from this launch are catalogued, all of them payloads.
- Watch
- NASA Launches Soil Moisture MapperNASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Vehicle
- Delta II 7320-10C · United Launch Alliance
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Earth Science · Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO)
- Milestone
- 6th Delta II 7320-10C flight · 1st this yearUnited Launch Alliance's 94th launch2nd this yearhumanity's 5,445th orbital launch attempt3rd orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
SMAP · NORAD 40376 · 2015-003 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 5 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 2015-003A
- Epoch
- 2015-01-31 17:00:40 UTC
- Mean motion
- 14.66192141 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0018055
- Inclination
- 98.1255°
- Ascending node
- 40.915°
- Arg. of perigee
- 213.2313°
- Mean anomaly
- 146.7726°
- 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: SSO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
5 catalogued: 5 payloads; 1 still in orbit
- SMAP · NORAD 40376 · in orbit
- FIREBIRD U3 · NORAD 40377 · re-entered August 2, 2023
- FIREBIRD U4 · NORAD 40378 · re-entered August 2, 2023
- GRIFEX · NORAD 40379 · re-entered February 24, 2024
- ExoCube · NORAD 40380 · re-entered June 30, 2024
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
SMAP is an Earth satellite mission designed to measure and map Earth’s soil moisture and freeze/thaw state to better understand terrestrial water, carbon and energy cycles.
Pad
Space Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
90th launch from Space Launch Complex 2W, 1st this year · 661st from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
99 launches from this pad · 919 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
213 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did SMAP, FIREBIRD II A, FIREBIRD II B, GRIFEX, ExoCube launch?
SMAP, FIREBIRD II A, FIREBIRD II B, GRIFEX, ExoCube launched on January 31, 2015. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch SMAP, FIREBIRD II A, FIREBIRD II B, GRIFEX, ExoCube?
Coverage: NASA Launches Soil Moisture Mapper. Watch the replay
What rocket launched SMAP, FIREBIRD II A, FIREBIRD II B, GRIFEX, ExoCube?
Delta II 7320-10C, flown by United Launch Alliance. Delta II 7320-10C spec sheet
Where did SMAP, FIREBIRD II A, FIREBIRD II B, GRIFEX, ExoCube launch from?
Space Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.
What orbit did SMAP, FIREBIRD II A, FIREBIRD II B, GRIFEX, ExoCube reach?
SMAP, one of 5 catalogued objects, reached a 668 × 693 km orbit inclined 98.1°.
How many satellites did SMAP, FIREBIRD II A, FIREBIRD II B, GRIFEX, ExoCube launch?
5 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 1 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).