Cataloguing of GSSAP satellites from USSF-8 Launch

From: Bob Christy via Seesat-l <seesat-l_at_satobs.org>
Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2022 10:13:45 +0000
Space-Track has catalogued the two satellites simply as 'USA 324' and 'USA 325'.

The previous satellite numbered in the USA series is the Navstar from the 2021-045 launch carrying the name 'USA 319'

Numbers 320-323 are missing.

There's a multiplicity of potential explanations but it is unusual for USA numbers to be held back, the convention is normally to use the next available number when a satellite's existence is declared.

Are there four undeclared satellites that are currently listed as debris? Are there four satellites, already numbered, yet to be released from another object currently in orbit? Or is it a cataloguing error? 

It's noticeable that all of the satellite listing websites/groups I can find (including my own) have automatically generated 320 and 321 as the numbers:
https://www.zarya.info/2022#006

Robert Christy

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Received on Sun Jan 23 2022 - 04:14:56 UTC

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