Orbital Reflector (ORS 1)

Launch data: Designation  43822 / 18099BS Launch date  03 Dec 2018 Launch site  Va, SLC-4E Launch vehicle  Falcon-9 v1.2 Mission  Art Earth orbit: Perigee / Apogee  573 x 588 km Eccentricity   Inclination  97.77° Period   min

Spacecraft data:

Description:

• Orbital Reflector is a project by the Nevada Museum of Art and artist Trevor Paglen to put a reflective, nonfunctional satellite into low Earth orbit. Orbital Reflector is a 30 m sculpture constructed of a lightweight material similar to Mylar. It is housed in a small box-like infrastructure known as a CubeSat and launched into space aboard a rocket. Once in low Earth orbit at a distance of about 575 kilometers from Earth, the CubeSat opens and releases the sculpture, which self-inflates like a balloon. Sunlight reflects onto the sculpture making it visible from Earth with the naked eye — like a slowly moving artificial star as bright as a star in the Big Dipper.

External links:

• Satellite tracking (n2ya.com): Real time satellite tracking