Mir and Cosmos 1174

ROB MATSON (ROBERT.D.MATSON@cpmx.saic.com)
19 Mar 1998 15:19:08 -0800

Hi All,

Thought I'd take a peak at possible conjunctions with Mir over the next
few days.  One will be fairly close:  Cosmos 1174.  Here are the TLEs:

Cosmos 1174
1 11765U 80030A   98077.18208935  .00001764  00000-0  12350-3 0  4388
2 11765  66.1099 338.2636 0701991 162.6998 199.9390 14.01607753906517

Mir Space Station
1 16609U 86017A   98078.24227583  .00014515  00000-0  16309-3 0  3441
2 16609  51.6567 141.4980 0004836 128.2589 231.8842 15.62870667689983

Closest approach is predicted for 21 March 1998 at 23:53:25 UTC, at a
range of 6.2 km.  However, the two orbits come with 1.1 km of each
other, such that less than a one-second along-track change in either
satellite (in the correct direction) could bring them within a mile of
each other.  The conjunction occurs over the North Atlantic at around
longitude 36.7 W, latitude 16.3 N.  So both will be in darkness.  --Rob