Overnight, Russell Eberst, Marco Langbroek and Scott Tilley detected that FIA Radar 2 (12014A / 38109) had manoeuvred. Marco and Scott found it running considerably early, and reported observations, which yield preliminary updated elements: FIA Radar 2 1066 X 1096 km 1 38109U 12014A 12105.33721777 .00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 08 2 38109 123.0122 249.7397 0020085 231.3101 128.6065 13.47529876 01 Arc 20120413.84-0414.35 WRMS resid 0.022 totl 0.017 xtrk The manoeuvre occurred on 2012 Apr 12 near 20:54 UTC, during a high elevation pass of AFSCN Oakhanger. The magnitude was approximately 5.9 m/s; and the main results were a decrease of perigee of about 15 km, and rotation of the line of apsides by about -65 deg; the latter estimate could change considerably with further observation. Several more manoeuvres can be expected over the next couple of weeks or so, until a frozen orbit has been achieved, with mean argument of perigee near 90 deg, and dimensions matching those of FIA Radar 1: 1101 X 1107 km. I suspect there is an optimal spacing between the spacecraft in time of node crossing, that will also have been achieved by the conclusion of the manoeuvres. Ted Molczan _______________________________________________ Seesat-l mailing list http://mailman.satobs.org/mailman/listinfo/seesat-l
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