Decayers from latest Proton launch

Alan Pickup (alan@wingar.demon.co.uk)
Thu, 13 Nov 1997 08:05:10 +0000

Elsets have appeared for two objects from yesterday's launch of the
Kupon satellite by a Proton-K/DM-2. Here are the latest ones, with my
guess as to their identities.
Kupon Proton-K r                                 179 x 172 km
1 25046U 97070B   97317.19075122  .14840692  12267-4  16367-2 0    64
2 25046  51.6233 313.7109 0004634 114.4227 245.7281 16.36389548    81
Kupon Platform?                                  192 x 181 km
1 25047U 97070C   97317.12936218  .01675996  12177-4  28466-3 0    52
2 25047  51.6266 314.0534 0008487 268.8473  91.1573 16.32217885    77

The first of these will decay at around 11:00 UTC today, November 13,
according to a SatEvo fit through the available elsets. My prediction:
Kupon Proton-K r                                 172 x 167 km
1 25046U 97070B   97317.25175797  .20107461  28964+0  17158-2 0 90038
2 25046  51.6174 313.3629 0003069  92.3232 267.7119 16.38636582    99
Kupon Proton-K r                                 164 x 160 km
1 25046U 97070B   97317.31268957  .26967347  48795+0  16264-2 0 90030
2 25046  51.6167 313.0183 0002562  92.5806 267.4487 16.41471293   106
Kupon Proton-K r                                 153 x 150 km
1 25046U 97070B   97317.37349644  .41728375  13048+1  11885-2 0 90030
2 25046  51.6156 312.6728 0001927  92.8388 267.1833 16.45497185   111
Kupon Proton-K r                                 130 x 129 km
1 25046U 97070B   97317.43409966 1.29406054  14967+2  82696-3 0 90036
2 25046  51.6139 312.3257 0000931  93.0981 266.9125 16.53658826   124

The "Platform" (if such it be) should last longer, with decay at about
November 15.5. Predictions for the next few hours:
Kupon Platform?                                  190 x 179 km
1 25047U 97070C   97317.31297225  .02057730  27212-2  32318-3 0 90012
2 25047  51.6268 313.0339 0008083 259.3110 100.5980 16.32957506   108
Kupon Platform?                                  187 x 177 km
1 25047U 97070C   97317.55767532  .02281676  34239-2  32159-3 0 90019
2 25047  51.6265 311.6632 0007611 260.3342  99.5798 16.34017320   141
Kupon Platform?                                  183 x 174 km
1 25047U 97070C   97317.80221082  .02566199  43998-2  31945-3 0 90012
2 25047  51.6262 310.2913 0007108 261.3584  98.5610 16.35199836   185
Kupon Platform?                                  179 x 171 km
1 25047U 97070C   97318.04655815  .02940678  59563-2  31648-3 0 90017
2 25047  51.6257 308.9179 0006567 262.3837  97.5417 16.36540920   221

Updates this (UK) evening.

There was an Ariane launch of Sirius 2 and Indostar a few hours ago, but
no elsets from OIG so far.

Alan
-- 
 Alan Pickup | COSPAR site 2707:   55d53m48.7s N   3d11m51.2s W    156m asl
 Edinburgh   | Home:      alan@wingar.demon.co.uk       +44 (0)131 477 9144
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