PODSAT

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10-day predictions

NORAD ID: 43229

Int'l Code: 2018-023B

Perigee: 179.9 km

Apogee: 17,991.5 km

Inclination: 26.9 °

Period: 318.7 minutes

Semi major axis: 15456 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   20027.81068764  .00043214 -30395-6  49166-3 0  9995
2 43229  26.9390 264.8402 5761800 349.6765   2.3513  4.51780808 36143

Source of the keplerian elements: AFSPC