NROL-76 elements from observations

From: Ted Molczan via Seesat-l <seesat-l_at_satobs.org>
Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2017 08:09:03 -0400
The following elements have been derived from observations by Leo Barhorst, Russell Eberst, David Hopkins, Marco
Langbroek and Mike Waterman:

USA 276                                                  388 X 411 km
1 42689U 17022A   17152.86247769  .00006220  00000-0  86095-4 0    01
2 42689  50.0059 119.2214 0016511 115.4222 244.8457 15.56232863    06
Arc 20170528.83-0601.88 WRMS resid 0.067 totl 0.006 xtrk

Below are updated conjunction estimates for the closest approaches on 2017 Jun 03 with range <= ~100 km.

                   ISS sub-satellite point     USA 276 sub-sat point
                  -------------------------  ------------------------- 
  TCA      Range    Lat      Lon      Alt      Lat      Lon      Alt
  UTC       km      deg      deg      km       deg      deg      km
11:43:10   83.67  43.32 N 170.77 E   410.56  43.71 N 169.99 E   391.44
12:29:09   54.02  43.96 S  22.37 W   418.35  44.16 S  22.93 W   424.13
13:15:32   25.13  43.80 N 146.22 E   410.72  43.88 N 146.06 E   391.49
14:01:47   13.03  43.90 S  45.77 W   418.32  43.86 S  45.65 W   424.01
14:47:54   52.76  44.27 N 121.64 E   410.88  44.04 N 122.12 E   391.54
15:34:24   77.36  43.87 S  69.25 W   418.30  43.57 S  68.45 W   423.90
16:20:16  115.99  44.73 N  97.05 E   411.04  44.20 N  98.19 E   391.60

The time and range of closest approach is fairly sensitive to the argument of perigee, eccentricity and decay rate of
USA 276, which may not yet have settled down to their actual values, due to the still short observational arc.

For USA 276, I used the above TLE. For ISS, I used NASA's current estimated TLE for June 3:

https://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/SSapplications/Post/JavaSSOP/orbit/ISS/SVPOST.html

1 25544U 98067A   17154.59563174  .00016717  00000-0  10270-3 0  9050
2 25544  51.6397 106.0758 0004758 233.6745 126.3969 15.53986584 19633

If the intention is to perform an actual rendezvous, instead of, or in addition to a series of fly-bys, then USA 276
could manoeuvre to match the plane of ISS near one of the above times. If delta-V is a significant constraint, then the
minimum energy manoeuvre would occur on Jun 24, when USA 276 and ISS would have the same RAAN, leaving only a 1.6 deg
change of inclination.


Ted Molczan


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Received on Fri Jun 02 2017 - 07:10:44 UTC

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