Re: New bright satellite

So we will have to wait another 2-3 weeks and could see an occasional flash
in the meantime.

In the S&T article they say Mayak is 2017 042F 42830, but this has not
shown up on Space-Track
as have severeal of the other payloads.
Also missing is object CA and the Fregat upperstage object CB. The latter
was deorbited after
releasing the payloads some 5-6 hours in the flight and decayed over the
Indian Ocean.

Leo

2017-07-25 12:36 GMT+02:00 Marco Langbroek <marco_at_langbroek.org>:

> Op 25-7-2017 om 10:56 schreef Leo Barhorst:
> > On Jul 11 I wrote:
> > The sat wil rotate in all 3 directions and by reflecting the sunlight it
> could
> > reach
> > mag -10, much brighetr than ISS (mag -4) or the Iridium-1's (mag -8).
> >
> > See the article on Spaceflight101.com with 2 video's and photo's.
> >
> >>>
> > This is unlike the Iridiums-1 that had a stable orientation and reflect
> the
> > sunlight from the antennae panels in a small path over the earth.
> >
> > As MAYAK would be rotating in all 3 directions I think the reflections
> will
> > spread out over the earthsurface and one must be lucky to see them.
> >
> > The video on Spaceflight101.com suggest otherwise. But only real
> observations
> > could clarify that.
>
>
>
> I have seen another source (that I can't find this fast) mentioning that
> Mayak
> would actually be 3-axis stabilized for the first 3 or 4 weeks after
> launch,
> i.e. like an Iridium. After this, they will let it tumble (but it will
> decay fast).
>
> It is a pitty that the people behind Mayak aren't more forthcoming with
> information about their spacecraft operations, certainly giving the media
> hype
> they created about "the brightest object in the sky". Their website gives
> very
> little useful information about the operational phase of the satellite.
>
> - Marco
>
> PS: ah, found a source (not the one I had seen earlier) mentioning the 4
> week
> stable orientation mode:
> http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/bright-
> moon-new-satellite-mayak-light-sky/
>
>
> -----
> Dr Marco Langbroek  -  SatTrackCam Leiden, the Netherlands.
> e-mail: sattrackcam_at_langbroek.org
>
> Cospar 4353 (Leiden):     52.15412 N, 4.49081 E (WGS84), +0 m ASL
> Cospar 4355 (Cronesteyn): 52.13878 N, 4.49937 E (WGS84), -2 m ASL
> Station (b)log: http://sattrackcam.blogspot.com
> Twitter: _at_Marco_Langbroek
> -----
>
_______________________________________________
Seesat-l mailing list
http://mailman.satobs.org/mailman/listinfo/seesat-l