CZ-2 R/B Decay

Harro.Zimmer (Harro.Zimmer@t-online.de)
Thu, 21 Jan 1999 17:22:46 +0100

1998-074C (25559) CZ-2 R/B:
Alan discussed yesterday the strange behavior of the rocket body. The final decay
announcement from OIG (SpaceCom) shows:
                  Jan 20, 21:21 UTC +/- 39 minutes (44.1°N, 105.3°W)
There was also a last ELSET - 99020.8202... = 19:41 UTC . MPM delivers no decay
date with this input only the message "decayed". I suggest that the rocket body 
decayed at least a half hour earlier as Space Com estimated. But under the condi-
tion that the SpacCom time is realistic there is another strange fact:
The reentry began on an ascending pass over China. The trajectory  descending 
420 km east of the launch complex Jiuquan (41.10°N, 100.3°W) and ended in the 
border region of Mongolia.

Harro

Harro.Zimmer@t-online.de