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ISS OBJECT XT

DecayedHuman SpaceflightLEO

Hitomi , also known as ASTRO-H and New X-ray Telescope (NeXT), was an X-ray astronomy satellite commissioned by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for studying extremely energetic processes in the Universe. The space observatory was designed to extend the research conducted by the Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics (ASCA) by investigating the hard X-ray band above 10 keV. The satellite was originally called New X-ray Telescope; at the time of launch it was called ASTRO-H. After it was placed in orbit and its solar panels deployed, it was renamed Hitomi. The spacecraft was launched on 17 February 2016 and contact was lost on 26 March 2016, due to multiple incidents with the attitude control system leading to an uncontrolled spin rate and breakup of structurally weak elements.

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Launch

Launch date
November 20, 1998 at 06:40 AM UTC
Launch site
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Launched by
Proton-K →
Operator
Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center
Mission
Zarya
Launch record
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Orbit

Orbit regime
LEO
Apoapsis
189 km
Periapsis
187 km
Inclination
51.6°
Orbital period
88.25 min

Identity

COSPAR (Int'l)
1998-067XT
NORAD catalog №
66907
Object type
Payload
Owner / operator
To Be Determined
Status
Decayed
Decay / reentry
May 8, 2026

End of mission

Last active / ended
May 8, 2026
Time in service
27.5 years
Fate
Reentered Earth's atmosphere and was destroyed.
Final status
Decayed