Re: 99057C debris plot

From: Bjoern Gimle (b_gimle@algonet.se)
Date: Mon Apr 17 2000 - 01:23:17 PDT

  • Next message: Eberst: "APR13-15.OBS"

    > (Question to analysts :) Could this be the place where the breakup occured
    ?
    >
    > See the plot as viewed normal to the orbital plane :
    > http://www.obsat.com/images/debplotA.gif
    >
    Yes, except that the orbits have precessed to a varying degree in their
    (also precessed) orbital planes since the explosion.
    Using Rob Matson's ALLCOLA and Ted Molczan's info that the explosion took
    place on Mar.10, and the first fragment elsets + 99057D day 85 and 99057C
    day 87, I computed all close encounters within 77 km on Mar.09-14.
    When one piece had multiple encounters with the same piece, I removed those
    exceeding 20 km, if there were some below 10 km, and those with a large
    orbit (vertical) separation.
    The number of remaining encounter pairs were:
    0309  29
    0310  24
    0311 153  12:54-13:23 50, 13:02-13:14 40
    0312  34
    0313  21
    0314  27
    
    Most notable output lines are:
       Date     UTC Time   Norad         Name   Range/OrbSep  NdAng EphAge
     3/11/2000 13:03:31.71 25942 CBERS-1 Rk       6.7/   2.3   78.8 -16.21 26123
     3/11/2000 13:03:56.25 26124 CBERS LM4 deb L  3.5/   1.0   89.7 -32.74 26145
     3/11/2000 13:04:41.02 26125 CBERS LM4 deb M  4.7/   0.0   60.7 -33.35 26143
     3/11/2000 13:05:31.69 26122 CBERS LM4 deb J  9.1/   0.2  131.6 -32.67 26125
     3/11/2000 13:05:48.00 26143 CBERS LM4 deb AF 7.4/   0.6  123.5 -33.62 26122
    
    This puts the explosion time as 00071.545. The objects involved above
    (C,J,K,L,M,AF and AH) have low drag (except AH), different perigee heights
    and even more differing apogees. L has is its perigee in the opposite
    direction from the others.
    Positions are 047 to 051 W, 47 to 56 S, height 753 +-5 km, southbound,
    sunlit.
    
    -- bjorn.gimle@tietotech.se (office)                         --
    -- b_gimle@algonet.se (home)  http://www.algonet.se/~b_gimle --
    -- COSPAR 5919, MALMA,    59.2615 N, 18.6206 E, 33 m         --
    -- COSPAR 5918, HAMMARBY, 59.2985 N, 18.1045 E, 44 m         --
    -- SeeSat-L / Visual Satellite Observer Home Page found at   --
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