RE: usa 55

Ed Cannon (ecannon@mail.utexas.edu)
Wed, 07 Jul 1999 01:56:45 -0500

According to certain Web sites, USA 55 might technically be 
called "GLOMR 2", but they actually give its name as "SECS" 
or "TERCEL" (or USA 55).  The first GLOMR was launched in 
1985 and decayed in 1986.  They both are said to weigh 68
kg, but the Small Satellite Home Page says that GLOMR (1985)
was only 250 mm in diameter.  (Maybe it was 250 mm radius?)
Here are two sites with the information, including photos:

GLOMR, 85-104B, 16231, 57-degree inclination (a "62-sided
polyhedron" according to JPL)
  http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/SSC/SSHP/micro80s.html
  http://spacepc.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/QuickLooks/glomrQL.html

USA 55 (SECS, TERCEL), 90-28B, 20547, 94.1-degree inclin.
(with "54 facets" according to Small Satellite Home Page):
  http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/SSC/SSHP/micro90.html
  http://spacepc.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/QuickLooks/secsQL.html

Mark Wade's Encyclopedia Astronautica
  http://solar.rtd.utk.edu/~mwade/craft/glomr.htm
  http://solar.rtd.utk.edu/~mwade/chrono/19854.htm#3248
  http://solar.rtd.utk.edu/~mwade/chrono/19902.htm#4013

Ed Cannon - ecannon@mail.utexas.edu - Austin, Texas, USA