>A Titan 4/Centaur was just launched from KSC, FL, USA. Launch time was >7/10/95 1238 UTC. It appears to be going into a high inclination orbit. The Air Force confirmed before the launch that the azimuth was 37.9 degrees,= which translates into an orbit with an initial inclination of 57.3 degrees= - a slightly higher inclination than what is normally considered safe, but= certainly not the highest inclinatio mission from the Cape. It's likely that the ultimate spacecraft orbit is a 12 hour Molniya with a= 63.4 degree inclination. The problem is a Titan IV-Centaur combination has= the capability to put over 10,000 lbs. into that orbit - far beyond the= capacity of the shuttle (STS-28, STS-53) or the Titan 34D combination. So what could be so large? A third-generation SDS satellite? An extremely= gigantic version of Jumpseat? Or is the rumor true that the Air Force actually put one of the UFOs it= captured in the 1960s on board because the secret was close to getting= revealed, and they wanted to put it back in space where it belongs? ;) (And if the above rumor is not true I better not keep spreading it). Stats: Titan IV (K-19)/TC-08 Mission number R-7587 first Centaur MECO at 14 minutes 15 seconds (other Centaur flight events are classified) Philip Chien, Earth News - space writer and consultant PCHIEN@IDS.NET __ __^__ __________ | \ +---/ \---+ (=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D |____\___________ +---\_____/---+ // >____)| | \__ \ \______//___ >/ |________| \ [ _____\ >|____________________\ \_______/ Roger, go at throttle up CHR$(32) the final frontier