The MER-B launch is still scheduled for this evening

From: Michael McCants (mmccants@jump.net)
Date: Mon Jul 07 2003 - 17:30:06 EDT

  • Next message: Ted Molczan: "TJM obs of 2003 Jul 08 UTC"

    The Space Flight Now MER-B status page:
    
    http://spaceflightnow.com/mars/merb/status.html
    
    says that the first opportunity to launch MER-B is at 10:35PM EDT
    (02:35 UT) this evening and the second opportunity is at 11:18PM EDT
    (03:18 UT).
    
    If the first opportunity is taken, the Delta depletion burn will
    take place at 04:15 UT.  For the second opportunity, the burn will
    take place at 04:58.  The burn should last about 45 seconds.
    
    In both cases, the Delta rocket will be inside the Earth's shadow.
    
    For the first opportunity, shadow entry begins about 04:13 and ends
    about 04:22.  For the second opportunity, shadow entry begins about
    04:54 and ends about 05:03.
    
    The Horizons system will now generate ephemerides for both objects for
    both opportunities.
    
    Note that the Horizons system will produce RA/Dec Alt/Az predictions
    for the time that the Delta second stage is inside the Earth's shadow.
    
    The MER-B spacecraft and its third stage will not be in the Earth's shadow.
    
    Elsets for Delta opportunity 1:
    
    MER-BO1 Del2 r (use before 04:15 UT)
    1 99991U          03189.14979016  .00000000  00000-0  00000+0 0    07
    2 99991  28.4730 147.5228 3255465  36.2206 323.5705  9.07664572    02
    
    MER-BO1 Del2 r (use after 04:15 UT)
    1 99992U          03189.14979016  .00000000  00000-0  00000+0 0    08
    2 99992  25.3051 159.3361 3300943  22.8080 321.4025  9.41426870    04
    
    This elset seems slightly inaccurate.  It indicates a shadow exit about
    one minute too late.  Shadow exit should be about latitude 18, longitude
    55 west.  The depletion burn should take place over latitude 23, longitude
    74 west.
    
    Elsets for Delta opportunity 2:
    
    MER-BO2 Del2 r (use before 04:58 UT)
    1 99993U          03189.17799570  .00000000  00000-0  00000+0 0    07
    2 99993  29.3964 147.7075 3258580  36.1631 323.6660  9.06706131    05
    
    MER-BO2 Del2 r (use after 04:58 UT)
    1 99994U          03189.18215396  .00000000  00000-0  00000+0 0    08
    2 99994  25.3822 158.8159 3266916  26.0138 337.1666  9.09057168    01
    
    This elset indicates shadow exit about latitude 18, longitude 65 west.
    The depletion burn should take place over latitude 22, longitude 77 west.
    
    Intrinsic magnitude for the Delta should be about 4.0 (quicksat scale)
    or 5.0 (Molczan scale).  Intrinsic magnitude for MER-B should be about
    4.5 to 5.5 (quicksat scale) or 5.5 to 6.5 (Molczan scale).  The third
    stage near MER-B should be IM 5.5 (quicksat scale) or 6.5 (Molczan scale).
    
    Mike McCants
    
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