Updated elements of NOSS 3-4

From: Ted Molczan (ssl2molcz@rogers.com)
Date: Sun Feb 24 2008 - 17:39:20 UTC

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    New observations have been reported by Tony Beresford, Russell Eberst and
    myself. Here are updated elements:
    
    NOSS 3-4 (A)     0.0  0.0  0.0  4.9 v
    1 31701U 07027A   08055.40398441  .00000012  00000-0  20000-4 0    01
    2 31701  63.4061 106.4521 0129778 148.0192 212.8793 13.41266933    02
    Arc 2008 Feb 13.16 - 24.43, WRMS residuals = 0.019 deg
    
    NOSS 3-4 (C)     0.0  0.0  0.0  4.9 v
    1 31708U 07027C   08055.40407689  .00000012  00000-0  20000-4 0    03
    2 31708  63.4052 106.6473 0128266 147.8322 213.0611 13.41269129    02
    Arc 2008 Feb 19.20 - 24.43, WRMS residuals = 0.015 deg
    
    The observational arc of 07027C is short; therefore, its elements may still be a
    bit rough, despite the low residuals. I fixed the value of inclination in the
    differential correction, in an effort to prevent the solution from straying too
    far from reality.
    
    At the epoch, C trailed A by 8 s at the ascending node, and the closing rate was
    nearly zero; therefore, the observed nominal separation for 3rd generation NOSS,
    about 8 s appears to have been achieved. Eventually, the pair will manoeuvre to
    synchronize their mean motion to that of the other operational NOSS groups,
    currently about 13.40515 rev/d.
    
    The NOSS 3-4 pair appear to have more or less completed their manoeuvres to
    compensate for the under-burn of the Centaur upper stage that inserted them into
    too low an orbit, during launch on 2007 June 15 UTC.
    
    Over the past 7 months, both spacecraft have made in excess of 50 corrective
    manoeuvres. Here is a plot of their manoeuvre history, expressed as the
    percentage of completion of the approximate required altitude-raising:
    
    http://www.satobs.org/seesat_ref/NOSS_3-4/NOSS_3-4_altitude_progress_3.pdf
    
    Additional information on the NOSS satellites is available here:
    
    http://www.satobs.org/noss.html
    
    Ted Molczan
    
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