Robert Holdsworth asked: > Can anyone give me up to date information on this object? It appears that USSTRATCOM has lost 83127Q / 27468, and judging by its recent rate of decay, it may no longer be in orbit. It is/was very small, which would have made it very difficult to observe. Mike McCants reports a median radar cross-section of just 0.16 m^2, derived from 18 OIG Satellite Situation Reports. The evolution of its orbit over the past couple of years reveals very strong solar radiation pressure perturbations, which indicates a large ratio of surface area relative to mass - probably a thin sheet of thermal blanket. Its mass likely would have been tens of grams - not enough to have put on much of a show on decay. Ted Molczan ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe/Unsubscribe info, Frequently Asked Questions, SeeSat-L archive: http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
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