HRC MONOBLOCK CAMERA
HRC Monoblock Camera is a small station-associated payload cataloged in low Earth orbit. Its presence in the station-related portion of the catalog is a reminder that human-spaceflight missions routinely deploy or release small experimental and technology payloads in addition to large crewed vehicles.
Object identity
- NORAD ID
- 66052
- COSPAR ID
- 1998-067XR
- Operator
- Not listed
- Country
- Not listed
- Launch date
- Not listed
Immediate discovery
Why this satellite matters
Small payloads make orbital decay especially instructive: area-to-mass ratio strongly affects how atmospheric drag changes an orbit at a few hundred kilometers altitude.
Understanding the mission
Science and engineering ideas
Small payloads make orbital decay especially instructive: area-to-mass ratio strongly affects how atmospheric drag changes an orbit at a few hundred kilometers altitude.
Mission
Mission and purpose
Objects in this category may be crewed stations, modules, cargo vehicles, or other spacecraft directly connected with human activity in orbit. The exact role depends on the individual object.
- Small payloads make orbital decay especially instructive: area-to-mass ratio strongly affects how atmospheric drag changes an orbit at a few hundred kilometers altitude.
Design
Engineering
Small payloads make orbital decay especially instructive: area-to-mass ratio strongly affects how atmospheric drag changes an orbit at a few hundred kilometers altitude.
Real orbital values
The mathematics
The current two-line element set reports approximately 15.9452 revolutions per day. Dividing 1,440 minutes by that value gives an estimated orbital period of 90.3 minutes.
Period
90.3 min
Representative speed
27,834 km/h
Representative altitude
297 km
Inclination
51.62°
Launch record
Launch and deployment
The orbital catalog lists the launch designator as 1998-067XR. A fully sourced launch story, launch vehicle, deployment sequence, historical weather, and documented delays have not yet been added to this page.
Orbit
LEO orbit explained
Low Earth orbit is the region closest to Earth used by most crewed spacecraft, many science missions, Earth-observation satellites, and large constellations. Objects move quickly and commonly complete an orbit in roughly 90 to 130 minutes.
LEO can provide detailed Earth views, lower communications delay, and easier access than higher orbits, but it covers less area per spacecraft and is more affected by atmospheric drag.
Live TransitSatellite experience
See HRC MONOBLOCK CAMERA moving now
Open the live tracker to view its current calculated position, trajectory, orbital information, visibility tools, and Save and Share controls.
Learning
Questions to explore
- Why do low-orbiting stations circle Earth many times per day?
- How do crews receive power, supplies, and communications in orbit?
Evidence
Sources and data notes
Current identity and orbital elements come from CelesTrak’s public GP data. Calculated orbit values are derived from the current TLE and may change after catalog updates. Mission-history claims are added separately and require authoritative sources.
Catalog updated
Sep 17, 2026, 1:04 AM UTC
Story review
1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z