Re: echo orbits

Tony Beresford (starman@camtech.net.au)
Tue, 13 Apr 1999 19:50:18 +0930

At 19:25 13/04/99 , Ed Smego wrote:
>hi guy
>
>i just sit and don't say much.  this may be off subject a bit.
>when the  america had the echo satellites in orbit. what orbit
>where there in geo or polar. I can remember  my dad  taking us
>kids in the back yard to watch them go by.
>
>respectfully
>Ed Smego
>40.40.17 north  78.48.32 west
Ed,
The Echo satellites  (1 & 2) were in orbits that nowadays would both
be classified as LEO or MEO. However there inclinations differed. 
Echo 1 was in an orbit inclined 47 degrees to the equator, and originally 
a circular orbit . Echo 2 was in an a polar orbit, inclined 81 degrees to the
equator. You can see the characteristics of the original orbits by looking
at the current orbits of the rockets which deposited them in orbit.
I saw Echo 1 within a day of it acheiving orbit, and tracked it ( in daylight)
to within a day or two of its demise. 

Echo 1 Rk
1 00050U 60009B   99020.13323683 -.00000076 +00000-0 +10000-3 0 00358
2 00050 047.2367 267.0778 0113917 064.7385 296.5157 12.19969988716032

Echo 2 Rk
1 00741U 64004B   99021.16200772 +.00000057 +00000-0 +10000-3 0 03431
2 00741 081.4887 058.0742 0173052 033.9848 327.2215 13.23223677689482

Tony Beresford
Adelaide South Australia