After the start of the launch window was suddenly shifted to one day earlier yesterday, North Korea launched its Kwangmyongsong 4 satellite this morning. According to US Stratcom the launch was at 00:29 UT: https://www.stratcom.mil/news/2016/596/USSTRATCOM_Detects_Tracks_North_Korean_Missile_Launch_into_Space/ This is within minutes of the opening of the time window in my assessment here : http://www.satobs.org/seesat/Feb-2016/0021.html (my assessment 00:24-00:41, with ~00:24 if they aimed for a similar solar elevation as during the the 2012 launch. For Pyongyang, 12 Dec 2012 00:49:49 UT corresponds to 17.5 degree solar elevation: 7 Feb 2016 00:29 corresponds to 18.0 degree solar elevation) First orbits released on Space-Track show an A object, which is likely the satellite, in a 465 x 502 km, 97.5 deg inclined sun-synchronous orbit with a 94.3 minute orbital revolution. This is a lower and more circular orbit than that of KMS 3-2 from 2012 (495 x 588 km initial orbit). The B object that is likely the upper stage, is in a 433 x 502 km orbit. Catalogue numbers are #41332 and #41333. - Marco ----- Dr Marco Langbroek - SatTrackCam Leiden, the Netherlands. e-mail: sattrackcam_at_langbroek.org Cospar 4353 (Leiden): 52.15412 N, 4.49081 E (WGS84), +0 m ASL Cospar 4355 (Cronesteyn): 52.13878 N, 4.49937 E (WGS84), -2 m ASL Station (b)log: http://sattrackcam.blogspot.com Twitter: _at_Marco_Langbroek ----- _______________________________________________ Seesat-l mailing list http://mailman.satobs.org/mailman/listinfo/seesat-lReceived on Sun Feb 07 2016 - 03:34:12 UTC
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