Identity switch: TRMM & rocket
Alan Pickup (alan@wingar.demon.co.uk)
Sun, 14 Dec 1997 22:50:35 +0000
>From my analysis of recent elsets, it appears that USSPACECOM switched
the identities of TRMM and its H-2 rocket about day 97346.25 (December
12.25).
The object which is now numbered as #25066 was numbered #25063 until
that epoch. I assume this to be the rocket. At the same time, the object
which had been tracked as #25066 became #25063. This latter object had
shown several jumps in mean motion since its launch and I assume this to
be TRMM.
Latest elsets from OIG for the objects from this launch are:
TRMM 4.0 0.0 0.0 5.6 d 348 x 345 km
1 25063U 97074A 97348.22908222 .00038533 00000-0 25614-3 0 209
2 25063 34.9956 299.4239 0002102 242.9910 117.0606 15.74330593 2568
ETS-7 Chaser 3.0 0.0 0.0 6.2 d 537 x 392 km
1 25064U 97074B 97347.93459439 .00003979 00000-0 10000-3 0 195
2 25064 34.9718 306.6352 0105926 336.6866 22.9006 15.33715552 2421
ETS-7 Target 3.0 0.0 0.0 6.2 d 524 x 364 km
1 25065U 97074C 97346.20137394 .00026710 00000-0 49362-3 0 278
2 25065 34.5422 318.0978 0117219 321.2206 38.0139 15.40710232 2150
TRMM H-2 r 13.5 2.5 0.0 4.2 v 373 x 360 km
1 25066U 97074D 97348.20436608 .00123301 00000-0 10843-2 0 186
2 25066 35.0026 300.2036 0009677 86.9688 273.1977 15.67353406 2542
The "Chaser" is showing occasional jumps (up and down) in mean motion,
while the orbit of the "Target" has been steady throughout. Current
elsets for all these objects are in my select.tle file, via the URL
below.
Alan
--
Alan Pickup | COSPAR site 2707: 55d53m48.7s N 3d11m51.2s W 156m asl
Edinburgh | Home: alan@wingar.demon.co.uk +44 (0)131 477 9144
Scotland | SatEvo satellite page: http://www.wingar.demon.co.uk/satevo/