99028A elements updated (was object 99099A)

Ted Molczan (molczan@home.com)
Fri, 16 Jul 1999 15:12:01 -0400

This is the object we have been calling 99099A. I am now calling it 99028A,
because I believe it is most likely the payload launched on the Titan IV
that lifted off from VAFB on 22 May 99. I reported the correlation between
its orbit and the launch last month:

http://www2.satellite.eu.org/seesat/Jun-1999/0366.html


I have now updated 99028A's elements, using nine observations made between
16 Jun and 11 Jul, by Tony Beresford, James Nix, Jay Respler and Peter
Wakelin.

USA 144         15.0  4.0  0.0  3.4 v
1 25744U 99028  A 99192.50896933  .00000000  00000-0  00000-0 0    06
2 25744  63.4767  36.5365 0230336 291.6345 297.2785  9.69752126    09

The RMS residual difference between the elements and the observations is
0.03 deg. Please note that the mean anomaly corresponds to one of the
observations, instead of the ascending node.

Until now, we have been calling another piece from the 99028 launch the "A"
object, as shown in this element set produced by Mike McCants:

1 25744U 99028  A 99159.07478761  .00062000  00000-0  71960-3 0    00
2 25744  63.4100  42.4565 0010000 349.9893  10.0106 15.61344808    08

I propose that we rename this object to 99028C, since it is most likely one
of the 9 pieces of debris catalogued from this launch, based on its apparent
small size and slow tumble.

Its orbit is now visible at high north latitudes. For search purposes, I
recommend at least doubling the rate of decay. Its standard magnitude is
about 6.9 (1000 km, 50 percent illuminated).

Ted Molczan