Uncertainties about Lunar Prospector TLE

Ron Lee (ronlee@pcisys.net)
Sat, 03 Jan 1998 19:21:20 -0700 

I have questions about the data provided on the Lunar Prospector
Launch:

Typically. MET or Mission Elapsed Time, starts at launch.  The UT and
MET times does not agree for a 0131 UT luanch on 6 Jan 98.

Furthermore, it appears that a one minute burn starting at 02:27:37 UT
on 6 Jan moves the spacecraft out to 24143.0763 km.   That seems very
unlikely.

Can anyone shed light on exact times based upon a 0131UT launch for 
the various orbits and exactly when the lunar transfer orbit starts?

I am not a rocket scientist so I need a little hand holding to try to
generate an elset to try to find this satellite before it gets too far
from earth.

Ron Lee

Lunar Prospector (From Ron Lee-questionable elset)
1 88888U 98-xxx A 98006.10251157  .00000670  00000-0  00000-0 0    10
2 88888  29.1520 303.7500 0025480 192.2960 121.2530 16.37615000    11

>LUNAR PROSPECTOR NOMINAL ORBITS
>
>                                    LUNAR PROSPECTOR LUNAR PROSPECTOR
>EPOCH (D/HH:MM:SS.SSS):             006/02:27:37.000 006/02:28:37.000
>PERIOD (MIN):                         87.928         ********
>INCLINATION (DEG):                   29.152           29.156
>ECCENTRICITY (DEG):                 0.002548         0.967634
>SEMI-MAJOR AXIS (KM):                6550.0796       **********
>ARGUMENT OF PERIGEE (DEG):          192.296          318.569
>RA OF ASCENDING NODE (DEG):         303.075          303.069
>MEAN ANOMALY (DEG):                 121.253            0.700
>START ORBIT TIME (HHH:MM:SS.SSS)MET:000:56:37.000    000:56:38.000
>END ORBIT TIME (HHH:MM:SS.SSS)MET:  002:56:20.000    252:00:00.000
>HEIGHT (KM):                          179.3983       24143.0763
>INJECTION LATITUDE (DEG):            20.71S            3.798S
>INJECTION LONGITUDE (DEG):          118.31E          343.086E
>INJECTION INERTIAL AZIMUTH (DEG):    68.895          121.133
>INJECTION TIME (D/HH:MM:SS.SSS):    006/02:27:37.000 006/02:28:37.000