Decay watch: July 23

Alan Pickup (alan@wingar.demon.co.uk)
Fri, 23 Jul 1999 22:34:06 +0100

I have updated the Decay Watch notices on my WWW page at

      http://www.wingar.demon.co.uk/satevo/dkwatch/

for the second time today.

My latest posting includes the final notice for #25848 = Molniya 3-50 r
with my estimate of decay at 19:05 UTC today on the southbound pass off
California and Baja California.

Though it had been running only 0.2 sec late against my prediction on
the previous orbit, SpaceCom's final elset...

Moln 3-50 r1     6.0  2.0  0.0  5.0 d   12       138 x 99 km
1 25848U 99036B   99204.76921533  .45994669  95226-5  13621-3 0   611
2 25848  62.7932 306.0405 0030072  59.4668 300.8928 16.58119885  2482

...shows it as much as 12 sec late at the northbound equator crossing.
It also indicates a dramatic increase in eccentricity, fall in the
perigee and shift of the latter around the orbit. My own analysis
suggests that the eccentricity was probably much lower and the mean
motion higher.

Also on my WWW page is an updated notice for #25780, the Iridium 14A
Smart Dispenser with my prediction for its decay at July 25 02:07 UTC.


Alan
-- 
 Alan Pickup | COSPAR 2707:  55d53m48.7s N  3d11m51.2s W   156m asl
 Edinburgh   | Tel: +44 (0)131 477 9144     Fax: +44 (0)870 0520750
 Scotland    | SatEvo page:   http://www.wingar.demon.co.uk/satevo/