In orbitDebris

EXPLORER 49 DEB

NORAD: 6726
COSPAR: 1973-039G

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

Built by: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Owner: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Platform (bus): RAE VCS
Mass at launch: 52 kg(estimate, good to about 20%)
Dry mass: 40 kg(estimate, good to about 20%)
Length: 0.2 m
Diameter: 1 m
Span with arrays and booms: 1 m
Shape: Truss

From GCAT by Jonathan McDowell (CC BY 4.0), record S06726, checked 2026-11-05. About this source

Launch

Launch date: 1973-06-10
Rocket: Delta 1913
Flight: Explorer 49
Mission name: RAE B
Launch site: CC, LC17B
Launched by: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Rocket performance: Success
Launch designator: 1973-039

From the GCAT launch log, launch 1973-039, checked 2026-11-05. About this source

Catalogue record

Object type: Debris
Owner code: US
Launch date: 1973-06-10
Orbits: the Moon

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

Where it came from

Parent object: EXPLORER 49 (RAE-2) (NORAD 6686)

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

Everything from this launch

Debris5 in total, 3 still in orbit
Payload1 in total, 1 still in orbit
Rocket body2 in total, 0 still in orbit