Where's Mir?

JIM MEADOWS (jim.meadows@the-matrix.com)
Tue, 19 Dec 95 11:26:00 -0600

I looked for Mir on Dec. 14th using a TLE dated 342.555 and didn't see
anything.  It may have been in eclipse, but Traksat said it should be in
sunlight until after it passed over my area.  It's been cloudy ever
since so I haven't been able to look for it since then.  But a friend
in Memphis looked for it on Dec. 16th and saw nothing at the predicted
time, but between 5 and 10 minutes later a bright satellite passed
over.  It wasn't Progress, since Progress had not been launched yet.

Now, maybe his watch is 5 minutes fast, or else maybe they've already
boosted Mir's orbit.  But I thought they wouldn't boost the orbit until
Progress arrived.  True?  Does anyone have a solution to this mystery?