Re: Decay watch: Cosmos 2335
Björn Gimle (b_gimle@algonet.se)
Thu, 10 Dec 1998 23:25:39 +0100
>
>OIG has published a decay prediction for Cosmos 2335 giving a predicted
>decay on December 14 @ 15:15 UTC +-3 days.
>
>Cosmos 2335 was manoeuvring frequently near a 421x400 km orbit until
>December 6 when successive elsets showed a major reduction in perigee:
>Cosmos 2335 6.0 0.0 0.0 4.2 v 421 x 400 km
>1 24670U 96069A 98340.97889474 .00004242 00000-0 74011-4 0 629
>2 24670 65.0319 4.2647 0015894 297.2841 62.6685 15.52162311112585
>Cosmos 2335 6.0 0.0 0.0 4.2 v 415 x 224 km
>1 24670U 96069A 98342.07152778 -.03305865 26667-2 -65473-2 0 643
>2 24670 65.0278 0.5541 0142686 270.7018 89.9356 15.83951587112754
>
>The latest elset is:
>Cosmos 2335 6.0 0.0 0.0 4.2 v 409 x 226 km
>1 24670U 96069A 98343.52403950 .01730209 13974-2 35472-2 0 806
>2 24670 65.0366 355.4141 0136731 272.0974 86.4427 15.84597456112988
>
The new orbit is very similar to previously de-orbited EORSATs, which have
taken about two months to decay. There are some variations, as can be seen
in the linked data and graphs on my www.algonet.se/~b_gimle/eorsat.htm
page: some have decayed more slowly than normal satellites, probably due
to the on-board correction engine; some have decayed slowly for a few
weeks, then normally. In many cases have the first elsets after the
first MM increase shown sudden changes and unstable drag terms.
Björn Gimle