WGS 5 is scheduled for launch from Cape Canaveral on a Delta 4 Medium+(5,4) in about 11 hours, on 2013 May 24, between 00:27 and 00:57 UTC. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d362/status.html I offer the following rough TLE of the orbit after the final burn of the 2nd stage, assuming launch at window-open: SECO-2 440 X 66991 km 1 78901U 13144.04069444 .00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 02 2 78901 24.0048 67.6288 8299446 177.8402 1.4113 1.08160032 04 Following spacecraft separation, observers within range should look for the following 2nd stage events (times approximate): T+ UTC 00:45:00 01:12:00 CCAM Start (Collision and Contamination Avoidance Manoeuvre) 00:47:20 01:14:20 CCAM End 00:54:41 01:21:41 H2 Depletion End 00:56:40 01:23:40 O2 Depletion End 01:18:33 01:45:33 N2H4 depletion End The fuel dump could produce a spectacular comet-like phenomenon, similar to that of WGS 4, imaged last year despite challenging conditions by Willie Koorts: http://satobs.org/seesat/Jan-2012/0270.html Ted Molczan _______________________________________________ Seesat-l mailing list http://mailman.satobs.org/mailman/listinfo/seesat-l
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