Photo: Bill Ingalls · Public domain (US government)
Mission
Government/Top Secret · LEO
2 satellites, one by L3Harris and the other by Northrop Grumman, will be launched as the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) mission for the US Missile Defense Agency. These satellites have improved sensitivity to detect and track hypersonic missiles with fainter signatures. 4…
What it put in orbit
Passes over you For a few days after launch the 6 satellites fly one behind another, a “train” you can see as a line of moving stars. When will it cross your sky?
| Object | Type | Orbit | Globe |
|---|---|---|---|
| HBTSS-SV2 2024-028A | Payload | 984 × 1012 km · 40.0° | Globe |
| RAPTOR4 2024-028B | Payload | 969 × 991 km · 40.0° | Globe |
| RAPTOR1 2024-028C | Payload | 975 × 993 km · 40.0° | Globe |
| RAPTOR3 2024-028D | Payload | 989 × 1006 km · 40.0° | Globe |
| RAPTOR2 2024-028E | Payload | 989 × 1006 km · 40.0° | Globe |
| HBTSS-SV1 2024-028F | Payload | 547 × 561 km · 40.0° | Globe |
COSPAR ID 2024-028 (data from GCAT, J. McDowell, CC BY 4.0). Orbits from the CelesTrak satellite catalogue (perigee × apogee, inclination).