MSX Delta reentry over Texas ?
Bjoern Gimle (b_gimle@algonet.se)
Mon, 27 Jan 1997 23:32:05 +0100 (MET)
thomsona@netcom.com (Allen Thomson) wrote:
> This from one of the semi-UFO groups. People following
>reentries might like to see if the object can be associated with
>any known decays.
...
> Some have speculated that the object may be connected to
>reports of a bright streak of light early Wednesday that
>officials believe was a Delta II rocket body re-entering the
>atmosphere and burning up, Knox said.
> However, weather service employees told Guadalupe County
>deputies that a co-worker saw what she thought might have been a
>meteor fall to earth in the general area of Longcope's field
>around 6:30 a.m. on Jan. 15, Friesenhahn said.
(I have no candidate for this yet)
...
> APTV-01-24-97 2153CST
>
The days/dates in Allen's mail confused me; and last week I was on
a business trip and had trouble getting elsets. Alan Pickup, myself,
and OIG had the MSX Delta rocket #23852, 5.9 x 2.4 m according to
Molczan elsets, on our decay lists.
I didn't check the decay predictions until Vladimir Agapov asked about
a ...-52 B (UNAMSAT), and later posted the SPACEWARN decay notices
about the impending decay. OIG 60-day prediction posted Jan.22 but
dated Jan.15 set the decay date as Jan.17, Alan has Jan.22 on his
SatEvo #23, dated Jan.16
The track of the final(?) elset and orbit (very high MM, low orbit)
is right across Texas at about 3:38 (UTC-6h), very close to 3:40,
as indicated by a mail from Joe Dellinger. The track passes slightly
W of Tulsa, OK to slightly E.of San Antonio, TX.
MSX r 5.9 2.4 0.0 5.6 d
1 23852U 96024 B 97 22.37676412 .00000000 24109-5 41939-3 0 4307
2 23852 96.5767 344.6986 0013684 128.9053 231.6615 16.61056074 42086
The SkyMap chart of the tracks, from an elevation of 2500 km, is
available on my http://www.algonet.se/~b_gimle/recent.htm page
(as http://www.algonet.se/~b_gimle/gif/23852tex.gif)
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