PODSAT

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10-day predictions

NORAD ID: 43229

Int'l Code: 2018-023B

Perigee: 174.3 km

Apogee: 20,686.9 km

Inclination: 26.9 °

Period: 361.2 minutes

Semi major axis: 16801 km

RCS: Unknown

Launch date: March 6, 2018
Source: United States (US)
Launch site: AIR FORCE EASTERN TEST RANGE (AFETR)

PODSAT (Payload Orbital Delivery Satellite) is a previously-undisclosed payload funded by a U.S. military research agency. The small spacecraft was fastened inside the Hispasat 30W-6 communications satellite, then ejected soon after the Falcon 9’s primary payload deployed in orbit following liftoff from Cape Canaveral. Officials from Space Systems/Loral and NovaWurks, two companies involved in the project, acknowledged the existence of the secret secondary satellite after publicly-available orbital data published by the U.S. military registered an unexpected object attributed to Tuesday’s launch named PODSat. The companies declined to release details about the secondary satellite’s mission or design.

1 43229U 18023B   19054.00061022  .00030230  81818-7  34471-3 0  9997
2 43229  26.8551 184.0219 6104355 244.1916  42.2983  3.98635204 21848

Source of the keplerian elements: AFSPC