re: FW: Master Iridium constellation map with corrected SV Identifier

Walter Nissen (dk058@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Wed, 9 Dec 1998 21:00:19 -0500 (EST)

I have edited the table presented by Paul.  I corrected some errors and 
reformated the columns rectilinearly.  Then I reduced the notation of 
failure (i.e., ususally, tumbling) to just an "F" and gave the OIG number 
its own column. 
 
I present an augmented table in detail below. 
 
As I understand it, a serial number was provided only if it differed from 
the tail number.  I added a column headed "Ser" giving the serial number 
for all objects.  I added the P-numbers as I have proposed them earlier in 
a column headed "WIN prev", including a slight column shift to the left to 
denote the objects which are drifting out of plane. 
 
I also considered whether a desirable nomenclature could be based on the 
location data as provided by Iridium.  I believe it can, and added a 
column headed "Ir new" showing names like "Ir 1S01".  I also considered 
whether that style of name can be improved.  I believe it can.  I added a 
column headed "WIN new1" showing a briefer name such as "Ir 1S1".  I think 
I prefer "WIN new1", but I also added a column headed "WIN new2" with 
theoretically purer names.  In "WIN new1", the objects in each 
plane are numbered 1 thru 9, 0, and A.  In "WIN new2", the objects in each 
plane are numbered 0 thru 9, and A. 
 
As I understand it, the serial numbers, like the catalog numbers and 
COSPAR ids, will not change at anytime in the foreseeable future.  The 
tail numbers may change based on operational considerations.  The OIG 
numbers should be the same as the serial numbers, but are not always so. 
 
It would appear that 25% of the 8 objects launched by China's Long March 
rocket in 4 launches have failed, 14% of 21 launched by Khrunichev's 
Proton in 3 launches have failed and 7% of the 55 launched by Boeing's 
Delta in 11 launches have failed. 
 
If alternative "WIN new1" is chosen, then line 0 of an elset would contain 
the positional number giving the plane number (from 1 to 6) and the slot 
number and the serial number.  E.g., then a fragmentary elset file might 
appear as: 
 
Ir 5S9  13 
1 24840U 97030E   98330.01925721  .00000169  00000-0  53349-4 0  2073 
2 24840  86.4024 302.5421 0001139 146.1727 213.9539 14.34220066 75421 
Ir 6F44 44 
1 25078U 97077B   98330.06871031  .00000225  00000-0  73292-4 0  1360 
2 25078  86.3940 334.1226 0003297 101.6084 258.5479 14.34230667 50603 
Ir 4-51 51 
1 25262U 98018A   98328.81515426  .00000460  00000-0  13613-3 0  1321 
2 25262  86.4411 271.4186 0003351  93.1129 267.0433 14.41364615 35164 
Ir 4SA  61 
1 25263U 98018B   98329.19765205  .00000317  00000-0  10624-3 0  1078 
2 25263  86.3978 271.2559 0003547 100.7856 259.3774 14.34218453 35222 
 
9 minutes after Ir 5S8 goes by, Ir 5S9 will go by on a more Westernly 
track.  9 minutes after that, Ir 5S0 will go by still further to the West. 
9 minutes later, Ir 5SA; and then, Ir 5S1, Ir 5S2, etc.  100.4 minutes 
after Ir 5S8 goes by the first time, she will pass by again, though unless 
she was low in the East the first time, she may be below the Western 
horizon on the subsequent pass. 
 
Here is a sample excerpt of QuickSat output showing the procession of 
plane 1: 
       H  M  S  TIM AL AZI C SHD  RNG  R A   DEC 
25291 22  1 29      13  69 C 451 2136  352  23.7  IR 1SA  68 
25346 22 10 28      14  71 C 371 1926  354  22.8  IR 1-75 75 
25345 22 10 47      16  71 C 455 1956  346  24.3  IR 1S1  74 
25343 22 20  5      19  73 C 460 1780  339  25.1  IR 1S2  72 
25344 22 29 21      23  74 C 464 1607  331  26.3  IR 1S3  73 
25342 22 38 36      28  76 C 466 1435  319  27.8  IR 1S4  70 
25285 22 47 51      34  78 C 469 1275  3 2  29.8  IR 1S5  62 
25286 22 57  5      41  79 C 471 1123  240  32.3  IR 1S6  63 
25287 23  6 18      50  81 C 474  990  2 7  35.4  IR 1S7  64 
25288 23 15 31      61  82 C 475  882  122  38.5  IR 1S8  65 
25289 23 24 41      75  84 C 482  814  019  40.8  IR 1S9  66 
25290 23 33 53      89 265 C 476  784 23 7  40.9  IR 1S0  67 
25291 23 43  3      74 267 C 478  813 2158  38.2  IR 1SA  68 
 
You can see how predictable the ordering is and how the name of the 
standby object, 1-75, stands out from those of the operational objects. 
For this particular pass, it so happens that the standby is quite close in 
time to Ir 1S1. 
 
If alternative "WIN new2" is chosen, then the order would be 8, 9, A, 0, 
1, etc. 
 
I ask that everyone with an opinion of the best style of name please 
communicate that to me together with any desired rationale, especially 
Alan Pickup and Mike McCants.  I mention them specifically, because I 
believe a large number of us regularly receive elsets from one or the 
other, either directly or indirectly, and without their input and 
approval, a better nomenclature may not be worth much.  Perhaps the same, 
or more, can be said of Rob Matson and Randy John, because their programs 
are important to many.  I will summarize to the list everything sent to me 
about this, especially if you mention styles by specific names such as 
"WIN prev", "IR new", "WIN new1", or "WIN new2". 
 
Thank you. 
 
Cheers. 
 
Walter Nissen                   dk058@cleveland.freenet.edu 
-81.8637, 41.3735, 256m elevation 
 
--- 
 
Mission SVs by Plane/Slot 
Loca- Tail                    WIN       IR    WIN    WIN 
 tion #  DS cat # COSPAR OIG  prev Ser new    new1   new2 
P1S01 74    25345 98 32D       P05  74 1S01   1S1    1S0 
P1S02 72    25343 98 32B       P06  72 1S02   1S2    1S1 
P1S03 73    25344 98 32C       P07  73 1S03   1S3    1S2 
P1S04 70    25342 98 32A       P08  70 1S04   1S4    1S3 
P1S05 62    25285 98 21A       P09  62 1S05   1S5    1S4 
P1S06 63    25286 98 21B       P0A  63 1S06   1S6    1S5 
P1S07 64    25287 98 21C       P00  64 1S07   1S7    1S6 
P1S08 65    25288 98 21D       P01  65 1S08   1S8    1S7 
P1S09 66    25289 98 21E       P02  66 1S09   1S9    1S8 
P1S10 67    25290 98 21F       P03  67 1S10   1S0    1S9 
P1S11 68    25291 98 21G       P04  68 1S11   1SA    1SA 
 
P2S01 22    24907 97 43E       P16  22 2S01   2S1    2S0 
P2S02 23    24906 97 43D       P17  23 2S02   2S2    2S1 
P2S03 76    25432 98 48B       P18  76 2S03   2S3    2S2 
P2S04 25    24904 97 43B       P19  25 2S04   2S4    2S3 
P2S05 45    25104 97 82A       P1A  45 2S05   2S5    2S4 
P2S06 46    24905 97 43C 24    P10  46 2S06   2S6    2S5 
P2S07 47    25106 97 82C       P11  47 2S07   2S7    2S6 
P2S08 48    25107 97 82D       P12  48 2S08   2S8    2S7 
P2S09 49    25108 97 82E       P13  49 2S09   2S9    2S8 
P2S10 26    24903 97 43A       P14  26 2S10   2S0    2S9 
P2S11  3 78 25431 98 48A 03    P15R 78 2S11   2SA    2SA 
 
P3S01 55    25272 98 19A       P26  55 3S01   3S1    3S0 
P3S02 28    24948 97 51E       P27  28 3S02   3S2    3S1 
P3S03 29    24944 97 51A       P28  29 3S03   3S3    3S2 
P3S04 30    24949 97 51F       P29  30 3S04   3S4    3S3 
P3S05 31    24950 97 51G       P2A  31 3S05   3S5    3S4 
P3S06 32    24945 97 51B       P20  32 3S06   3S6    3S5 
P3S07 33    24946 97 51C       P21  33 3S07   3S7    3S6 
P3S08 57    25273 98 19B       P22  57 3S08   3S8    3S7 
P3S09 58    25274 98 19C       P23  58 3S09   3S9    3S8 
P3S10 59    25275 98 19D       P24  59 3S10   3S0    3S9 
P3S11 60    25276 98 19E       P25  60 3S11   3SA    3SA 
 
P4S01 19    24965 97 56A       P37  19 4S01   4S1    4S0 
P4S02 34    24969 97 56E       P38  34 4S02   4S2    4S1 
P4S03 35    24966 97 56B 37    P39  35 4S03   4S3    4S2 
P4S04 36    24967 97 56C       P3A  36 4S04   4S4    4S3 
P4S05  5    24795 97 20D       P30   5 4S05   4S5    4S4 
P4S06  6    24794 97 20C       P31   6 4S06   4S6    4S5 
P4S07  7    24793 97 20B       P32   7 4S07   4S7    4S6 
P4S08  8    24792 97 20A       P33   8 4S08   4S8    4S7 
P4S09  4    24796 97 20E       P34   4 4S09   4S9    4S8 
P4S10 37    24968 97 56D 35    P35  37 4S10   4S0    4S9 
P4S11 61    25263 98 18B       P36  61 4S11   4SA    4SA 
 
P5S01 50    25172 98 10D 53    P47  50 5S01   5S1    5S0 
P5S02 56    25170 98 10B       P48  56 5S02   5S2    5S1 
P5S03 52    25169 98 10A 50    P49  52 5S03   5S3    5S2 
P5S04 53    25173 98 10E 54    P4A  53 5S04   5S4    5S3 
P5S05  9    24838 97 30C 10    P40   9 5S05   5S5    5S4 
P5S06 10    24839 97 30D  9    P41  10 5S06   5S6    5S5 
P5S07 54    25171 98 10C 52    P42  54 5S07   5S7    5S6 
P5S08 12    24837 97 30B       P43  12 5S08   5S8    5S7 
P5S09 13    24840 97 30E       P44  13 5S09   5S9    5S8 
P5S10 83    25531 98 66E       P45R 83 5S10   5S0    5S9 
P5S11 16    24841 97 30F       P46  16 5S11   5SA    5SA 
 
P6S01 18    24872 97 34D 20    P58  18 6S01   6S1    6S0 
P6S02 42    25077 97 77A       P59  42 6S02   6S2    6S1 
P6S03 40    25041 97 69C       P5A  40 6S03   6S3    6S2 
P6S04 39    25042 97 69D       P50  39 6S04   6S4    6S3 
P6S05 80    25469 98 51C       P51  80 6S05   6S5    6S4 
P6S06 17    24870 97 34B       P52  17 6S06   6S6    6S5 
P6S07 15    24869 97 34A       P53  15 6S07   6S7    6S6 
P6S08 81    25468 98 51B       P54  81 6S08   6S8    6S7 
P6S09 38    25043 97 69E       P55  38 6S09   6S9    6S8 
P6S10 41    25040 97 69B       P56  41 6S10   6S0    6S9 
P6S11 43    25039 97 69A       P57  43 6S11   6SA    6SA 
 
Non-mission SVs by Plane 
Loca- Tail                    WIN       IR    WIN    WIN 
 tion #  DS cat # COSPAR OIG  prev Ser new    new1   new2 
P1    75    25346 98 32E       P0 B 75 1-75   1-75   1-75 
 
P2F   24    25105 97 82B 46    P1 S 24 2F24   2F24   2F24 
P2    69    25319 98 26A       P1 B 69 2-69   2-69   2-69 
P2F   71    25320 98 26B       P1 T 71 2F71   2F71   2F71 
 
P3F   27    24947 97 51D      P2 S  27 3F27   3F27   3F27 
 
P4    51    25262 98 18A       P3 B 51 4-51   4-51   4-51 
 
P5F   11    24842 97 30G       P4 S 11 5F11   5F11   5F11 
P5F   14    24836 97 30A       P4 T 14 5F14   5F14   5F14 
P5    84    25530 98 66D       P4 E 84 5-84   5-84   5-84 
P5    85    25529 98 66C       P4 D 85 5-85   5-85   5-85 
P5    86    25528 98 66B       P4 C 86 5-86   5-86   5-86 
P5     2 87 25527 98 66A       P4 B 87 5-87   5-87   5-87 
 
P6F   20    24871 97 34C 18    P5 S 20 6F20   6F20   6F20 
P6F   21    24873 97 34E     P5 U   21 6F21   6F21   6F21 
P6F   44    25078 97 77B       P5 T 44 6F44   6F44   6F44 
P6    77    25471 98 51E       P5 B 77 6-77   6-77   6-77 
P6F   79    25470 98 51D      P5 V  79 6F79   6F79   6F79 
P6    82    25467 98 51A       P5 C 82 6-82   6-82   6-82 
 
Objects with F are known failures. 
 
OIG # is given only if different than Ser #. 
 
DS (delta Ser) is given only if the tail # is not the same as the serial 
number. 
 
R, Q, P, etc., to be reserved for replacement objects, as needed.  (no 
   change from "WIN prev") 
F-designation depends on reliable serial numbers being available from 
   Iridium. 
S, T, U, etc., are replaced by the F plus the serial number. 
B, C, D, etc., are replaced by the - plus the serial number. 
 
Footnotes: 
 
Paul Maley quotes a source from Iridium: 
 
> > P5 86  25528 97066B 
 
The COSPAR id should be 1998- 66 B. 
 
 
I know a lot of people believe this: 
 
> > P5S05 9  24838 97030C 
> > P5S06 10  24839 97030D 
 
but when I access OIG, what I receive would have led me to write: 
 
> > P5S05 9  24838 97030C  OIG REFERS TO 24838 as IR 10 
> > P5S06 10  24839 97030D OIG REFERS TO 24839 as IR 9 
 
 
I also added some other OIG numbers which are well-known.