This morning's confusing set of elsets for _both_ Astra 1K and its Blok
DM rocket can be explained by Astra 1K (presumably) being raised
slightly in orbit and by SCC switching the identities of the two
objects.
The elsets in question are:
Astra 1K 186 x 171 km
1 27557U 02053A 02330.87125512 .01703153 12238-4 21124-3 0 89
2 27557 51.5660 55.0293 0011458 166.9008 193.2291 16.35113724 150
Astra 1K 299 x 146 km
1 27557U 02053A 02331.11564909 .02480973 11829-4 20809-3 0 92
2 27557 51.5938 53.6192 0115872 298.2794 62.4379 16.18854523 194
Astra 1K Blok DM3 r 171 x 156 km
1 27558U 02053B 02330.86929521 .04524269 12437-4 28286-3 0 136
2 27558 51.5799 54.9868 0011817 279.3691 80.7592 16.40899035 152
Astra 1K Blok DM3 r 182 x 170 km
1 27558U 02053B 02331.11270232 .01847656 12266-4 20681-3 0 140
2 27558 51.5657 53.6699 0009304 169.9036 173.0733 16.36137037 197
Astra 1K Blok DM3 r 181 x 168 km
1 27558U 02053B 02331.23771567 .02065705 12280-4 21552-3 0 153
2 27558 51.5642 52.9688 0009408 166.3803 193.7479 16.36758949 219
What was previously ID'd as Astra 1K is now the Blok DM, correctly
represented by the final two elsets above. It appears that Astra 1K was
raised from a 171 x 156 km orbit (the first of the Blok DM ones above)
to a 299 x 146 km orbit (the second of the Astra 1K elsets) between Nov
26.869 and Nov 27.116. Presumably a COLA analysis could pin down the
time.
The following is taken from my updated Decay Watch page:
_____________________________________________________________________
Object: #27558 = 02- 53 B = Astra 1K Blok DM3 r
Decay predictions since identity swap with #27557:
Source Prediction made Predicted decay at Latitude Longitude
UTC UTC deg deg
SCC (None since identity switch)
SatEvo Nov 27 08:40 Nov 28 14:08 +-9h
Latest elset:
Astra 1K Blok DM3 r 181 x 168 km
1 27558U 02053B 02331.23771567 .02065705 12280-4 21552-3 0 153
2 27558 51.5642 52.9688 0009408 166.3803 193.7479 16.36758949 219
SatEvo prediction:
Astra 1K Blok DM3 r 175 x 163 km
1 27558U 02053B 02331.54274561 .03320762 87746-2 27158-3 0 90151
2 27558 51.5637 51.2470 0008590 167.6712 192.3498 16.38850938 262
Astra 1K Blok DM3 r 169 x 159 km
1 27558U 02053B 02331.78651399 .04142802 14304-1 27260-3 0 90156
2 27558 51.5632 49.8674 0007810 168.7056 191.3119 16.40653738 309
Astra 1K Blok DM3 r 162 x 153 km
1 27558U 02053B 02332.02997861 .05627611 29031-1 25088-3 0 90157
2 27558 51.5625 48.4856 0006844 169.7418 190.2721 16.42991121 341
Note: The earlier elsets for this object were issued under the guise of
Astra 1K, #27557.
_____________________________________________________________________
Alan
--
Alan Pickup / COSPAR 2707: 55.8968N 3.1989W +208m (WGS84 datum)
Edinburgh / SatEvo & elsets: http://www.wingar.demon.co.uk/satevo/
Scotland / Decay Watch: http://www.wingar.demon.co.uk/satevo/dkwatch/
*
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Nov 27 2002 - 03:59:02 EST