On 2 Feb 2022 at 20:18 UT, SpaceX will launch a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg SLC-4 carrying the classified NROL-87 payload for the NRO. Speculation is that this might be a new generation of electro-optical surveillance satellite. See: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=47476.0 Contract specifications state that it should go in a 97.4 degree inclined orbit with a semi-major axis of 6890.7 km. This corresponds to a Low Earth Orbit at roughly ~512 km orbital altitude that is sun-synchronous. The quoted inclination matches with the directions and positions of the hazard areas from Navigational Warning NAVAREA XII 45/22. Below is an *estimated* elset for launch on 2 Feb 20:18:00 UT into a circular Sun-Synchronous orbit that matches the few orbital parameters known from the contract specifications and the Navigational Warning hazard areas from NAVAREA XII 45/22. NROL-87 for launch on 2 Feb 2022 20:18:00 UT 1 70000U 22999A 22033.84583333 .00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 08 2 70000 097.4000 133.2500 0003556 157.1490 325.5337 15.17780808 03 Allow for some 1-2 minutes error in pass time and some degrees cross-track error on the first revolution. In case of a different launch time, this elset can be easily modified to the correct launch time using my "TLE from Proxy" program (http://software.langbroek.org) Upper stage disposal is at the end of the first revolution, in the northeast Pacific Ocean in a zone between Alaska and Hawaii. - Marco ----- Dr Marco Langbroek - SatTrackCam Leiden, the Netherlands. e-mail: sattrackcam_at_langbroek.org launchtower: http://launchtower.langbroek.org Station (b)log: http://sattrackcam.blogspot.com Twitter: _at_Marco_Langbroek ----- _______________________________________________ Seesat-l mailing list http://mailman.satobs.org/mailman/listinfo/seesat-lReceived on Tue Feb 01 2022 - 11:42:50 UTC
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