Re: Decay of Mars Pathfinder rocket

Alan Pickup (alan@wingar.demon.co.uk)
Fri, 28 Nov 1997 07:41:55 +0000

I wrote:
>...
>SatEvo predicted elsets for the next few hours, by which time I hope to
>post an update:
>Mars Pthfndr r   5.9  2.4  0.0  5.6 d            299 x 137 km
>1 24668U 96068B   97331.83902917  .06660862  10000-1  30576-3 0 97534
>2 24668  36.3083  74.4527 0122524 229.7009 129.2218 16.20597058 48016
>Mars Pthfndr r   5.9  2.4  0.0  5.6 d            285 x 137 km
>1 24668U 96068B   97332.02369624  .07303487  13432-1  30947-3 0 97530
>2 24668  36.3077  73.1312 0112797 231.5433 127.4392 16.23169826 48047
>Mars Pthfndr r   5.9  2.4  0.0  5.6 d            265 x 136 km
>1 24668U 96068B   97332.26943788  .08552863  18176-1  31594-3 0 97539
>2 24668  36.3068  71.3647 0098372 234.0061 125.0778 16.27046549 48081
>Mars Pthfndr r   5.9  2.4  0.0  5.6 d            242 x 135 km
>1 24668U 96068B   97332.51454994  .10058053  22685-1  31136-3 0 97530
>2 24668  36.3058  69.5921 0081479 236.4775 122.7414 16.31594280 48123

No new elsets have appeared via the OIG, so here is a continuation to
the above evolution which leads to decay about November 29.0...

Mars Pthfndr r   5.9  2.4  0.0  5.6 d            235 x 135 km
1 24668U 96068B   97332.57571773  .10768616  50407-1  31713-3 0 97538
2 24668  36.3055  69.1479 0076686 237.0968 122.1631 16.32862137 48135
Mars Pthfndr r   5.9  2.4  0.0  5.6 d            212 x 133 km
1 24668U 96068B   97332.75890878  .14902015  12497+0  34999-3 0 97539
2 24668  36.3045  67.8122 0060081 238.9591 120.4494 16.37457772 48169
Mars Pthfndr r   5.9  2.4  0.0  5.6 d            191 x 131 km
1 24668U 96068B   97332.88070816  .22276119  31543+0  38764-3 0 97530
2 24668  36.3036  66.9184 0045823 240.2052 119.3382 16.41856938 48189
Mars Pthfndr r   5.9  2.4  0.0  5.6 d            177 x 129 km
1 24668U 96068B   97332.94146881  .30967914  71843+0  41308-3 0 97537
2 24668  36.3029  66.4702 0036692 240.8303 118.8021 16.45016266 48192
Mars Pthfndr r   5.9  2.4  0.0  5.6 d            155 x 123 km
1 24668U 96068B   97333.00209056  .58084399  29389+1  47003-3 0 97533
2 24668  36.3020  66.0204 0024374 241.4574 118.2970 16.50018981 48208

I hope to post at least one more update before decay.

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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