RE: Recon birds
Tristan Cools (tcools@nic.INbe.net)
Thu, 19 Jun 1997 10:23:32 +0200 (MET DST)
>
>On Tue, 17 Jun 1997 GalaxyJH@postoffice.worldnet.att.net wrote:
>> Thanks for the cat numbers for the recon sats. I will plug them in
>> and check their orbits. Probably the most interesting items to look
>> for are the altitudes and ground tracks. It's interesting to see just
>> what these sats may be taking pictures of!
>
>I think you'll find that most of that list are weather sats with
>un-classified elements.
>
>I don't find elements for 20516 and 24681
>
>Does anyone have those?
>
>Jay Respler
24681/96-72B has already decayed on Jan 28 1997. It was the Titan second
stage from the USA129 launch.
The latest known elements for 20516 are:
USA 53 18.0 4.0 0.0 4.1
1 20516U 90019 B 90309.99079700 -.00002298 00000-0 -95528-3 0 03
2 20516 65.0200 194.0588 0009734 214.9671 144.9440 14.26241038 04
In November 1990 it was lost and never found again, so there are no current
elements available anymore. I wonder if it is still in orbit.
The whole story can be checked in Ted's orbital elements file.
There is also a most recent 'Spy' elements file at Mike McCants' web pages:
HTTP://www.fc.net/~mikem/
Greetings,
Tristan Cools
tcools@nic.INbe.net
BWGS member(Belgian Working Group Satellites)
Damse Vaart: 3.2478E/51.2277N 3.75m
Rijckevelde: 3.2856E/51.2045N 6.25m
Brugge : 3.2166E/51.2104N 5m