Unknowns

From: Greg Roberts (grr@telkomsa.net)
Date: Wed Mar 28 2012 - 09:20:53 UTC

  • Next message: Marco Langbroek: "ATV-3 seen: Video of ATV-3 and FIA Radar 1"

    Morning all
    
    I have seen several unknowns recently and since I was loosing track
    of whats what here is a summary of the current situation:
    
    Number 01:
    -------------
    99990 99 999A   0433 F 20120301202242122 55 15 0625573+175202 19  +050 05
    99990 99 999A   0433 F 20120301202237122 55 15 0621590+181720 19  +050 05
    
    1 99990U 99999A   12061.84904076 0.00000073  00000-0  50000-4 0    01
    2 99990  39.5265 263.7426 0008785  41.7345 180.0000 14.06673320    01
    
    Number 02:
    -------------
    99991 99 999B   0433 F 20120301200938171 55 15 0345200-164617 19  +055 05
    99991 99 999B   0433 F 20120301200950171 55 15 0349502-155841 19  +055 05
    
    1 99991U 99999B   12061.84016402 0.00000073  00000-0  50000-4 0    09
    2 99991  53.5584 125.1732 0007092 139.5529 180.0000 11.09402609    03
    
    Thought originally to be a GLOBALSTAR launch object but no positive match
    has yet been found.
    
    Number 03:
    -------------
    99999 99 999X   0433 F 20120305175835492 56 15 0535469+371530 39
    99999 99 999X   0433 F 20120305175836092 56 15 0536092+371857 39
    99999 99 999X   0433 F 20120305175850409 56 15 0544251+382953 39
    99999 99 999X   0433 F 20120305175851009 56 15 0544488+383215 39
    
    1 99999U 99999X   12065.74920149 0.00000073  00000-0  50000-4 0    02
    2 99999  49.2429 104.9204 0008366 158.6021 180.0000 13.53775756    01
    
    Number 04:(identified)
    -----------------------------
    99999 99 999A   0433 P 20120312202943000 16 15 0930594+165653 38
    99999 99 999A   0433 P 20120312203013000 16 15 0933004+162945 48  +099 04
    99999 99 999A   0433 P 20120312203036000 16 15 0934324+160918 28  +102 00
    
    1 99999U 99999A   12072.85458333 0.00000073  00000-0  50000-4 0    03
    2 99999  40.9307 320.5235 0003822   1.3438 180.0000  4.05505072    01
    
    Subject: A match!
    Date: 13 March 2012 06:57 PM
    
    Hello Greg,
    
    Your unknown is matched by 90061 - which has not been
    observed in about 18 months.
    
    Unknown 060616
    1 90061U 06667A   12072.81015115 0.00002000  00000-0  41235-3 0    08
    2 90061  27.6843 319.1253 6806992  65.2620 348.0019  2.90021041    07
    
    Of course the mean motion is somewhat uncertain.
    
    Mike
    
    
    Number 05: (identified)
    -----------------------------
    99999 99 999A   0433 G 20120323180810510 55 15 1557420-581914 39  +065 05
    99999 99 999A   0433 G 20120323180813729 55 15 1554536-582409 39  +065 05
    99999 99 999A   0433 G 20120323180816928 55 15 1551428-582910 39  +065 05
    
    1 99999U 99999A   12083.75575148 0.00000073  00000-0  50000-4 0    08
    2 99999  97.6497 113.2326 0008261 312.8581   0.0000 14.81983925    02
    
    IDENTIFIED AS CZ-4B  DEB
    
    
    Number 06:(identified)
    -----------------------------
    99990 99 990A   0433 G 20120323213557093 55 15 0500423-215941 39
    99990 99 990A   0433 G 20120323213602299 55 15 0500190-222715 39
    99990 99 990A   0433 G 20120323213607520 55 15 0459501-225440 39
    99990 99 990A   0433 G 20120323213623145 55 15 0458495-241934 39
    99990 99 990A   0433 G 20120323213802206 55 15 0448046-335202 39
    99990 99 990A   0433 G 20120323213920916 55 15 0433337-415909 39
    99990 99 990A   0433 G 20120323214002616 55 15 0431302-472609 39
    99990 99 990A   0433 G 20120323214023462 55 15 0426474-493323 39
    
    1 99990U 99990A   12083.90304933 0.00000073  00000-0  50000-4 0    09
    2 99990  62.7480 287.7088 0007658  56.8203 180.0000 11.97439485    05
    
    IDENTIFIED AS NOSS 3(C)  #11731 - lost for almost a year
    
    Number 07:
    -------------
    99999 99 999A   0433 G 20120325173948279 55 15 0504513+184029 58  +080 05
    99999 99 999A   0433 G 20120325173952341 55 15 0505302+184527 58  +080 05
    99999 99 999A   0433 G 20120325173956357 55 15 0506101+184854 58  +080 05
    99999 99 999A   0433 G 20120325174000376 55 15 0506490+185509 58  +080 05
    99999 99 999A   0433 G 20120325174004459 55 15 0507303+185928 58  +080 05
    99999 99 999A   0433 G 20120325174008599 55 15 0508162+190738 58  +080 05
    99999 99 999A   0433 G 20120325174012700 55 15 0508577+191214 58  +080 05
    99999 99 999A   0433 G 20120325174016764 55 15 0509395+191812 58  +080 05
    99999 99 999A   0433 G 20120325174020795 55 15 0510212+192232 58  +080 05
    
    1 99999U 99999A   12085.73635179 0.00000073  00000-0  50000-4 0    09
    2 99999  26.2985 103.1190 0005344 166.2302 180.0000  6.98063728    08
    
    
    NOTES:
    -----------
    
    (1) The problem in determining an orbit from a very small arc is that
        usually the orbit is too crude for an accurate determination of the
        orbit if a true unknown. Another problem is the assumption made that
        the orbit is circular which in some cases is totally incorrect. 
        Unknown number 4 illustrates this where the inclination is totally 
        wrong but Mike still managed to identify the satellite.
    
    (2) Unknown No 7 is almost certainly another case where the inclination is 
        someway out so is perhaps somewhat lower and probably an Ariane object
        in a highly elliptical orbit.
    
    (3) I dont know how these problems can be solved. With luck one is able to
        get another observation within a short period and thus tie the orbit
        down a bit but this is relatively rare.
    
    (4) Anybody got any suggestions as to how the question of unknowns can be
        better handled ? The problem is that one usually does not recognize an
        unknown for an unknown and its only a day or two later when measuring
        that this is discovered. When Im tracking Im usually too busy watching
        whats going on with the object being tracked rather than trying to 
        identify everything seen as the satellites whiz by.
    
    (5) Out of 7 "unknowns" seen so far in March    4 still remain unknown.
    
    
    
    Cheers
    Greg
    
    _______________________________________________
    Seesat-l mailing list
    http://mailman.satobs.org/mailman/listinfo/seesat-l
    



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Mar 28 2012 - 09:19:50 UTC