In orbitDebris

EXPLORER 38 DEB

NORAD: 28608
COSPAR: 1968-055M

OrbitalWiki publishes live orbits for active satellites only. This object is in the full catalogue: who launched it, what it is and its last published orbit are below, but there are no current orbital elements for it here.

Spacecraft

Owner: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Span with arrays and booms: 8.2 m
Shape: Disk + Cable

From GCAT by Jonathan McDowell (CC BY 4.0), record S28608, checked 2026-11-05. About this source

Launch

Launch date: 1968-07-04
Rocket: Thor Delta J
Flight: Explorer 38
Mission name: RAE A
Launch site: V, SLC2E
Launched by: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Rocket performance: Success
Launch designator: 1968-055

From the GCAT launch log, launch 1968-055, checked 2026-11-05. About this source

Catalogue record

Object type: Debris
Owner code: US
Launch date: 1968-07-04
Period: 224.2 min
Inclination: 120.85°
Apogee: 5,868 km
Perigee: 5,827 km
Radar cross-section: 0.0446 m²

From CelesTrak SATCAT, checked 2026-11-05. About this source

Where it came from

Parent object: EXPLORER 38 (RAE-A) (NORAD 3307)

The object this one was attached to at launch, or broke off from, as GCAT records it.

Everything from this launch

Debris18 in total, 17 still in orbit
Payload1 in total, 1 still in orbit
Rocket body1 in total, 1 still in orbit