71 120 A,B

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The following unexciting entries are from the August, 1995, Satellite
Situation Report:

 NCAT Desig    Name                 Cntry  Period  Inc   Apo   Per   RCS
 5917 72-022A  METEOR 1-11           CIS   102.3  81.2   882   856   5.7
 5918 72-022B  SL-3 R/B              CIS   102.5  81.2   921   834  14.8
 6079 72-049A  METEOR 1-12           CIS   102.7  81.2   895   880   6.4
 6080 72-049B  SL-3 R/B              CIS   102.9  81.2   931   857  12.5
 6256 72-085A  METEOR 1-13           CIS   102.3  81.3   880   857   6.1
 6257 72-085B  SL-3 R/B              CIS   102.5  81.3   917   834  14.1
 6392 73-015A  METEOR 1-14           CIS   102.4  81.2   881   864   8.6
 6393 73-015B  SL-3 R/B              CIS   102.6  81.3   923   838  12.1

I see three patterns here:
1.  The SL-3 rockets have about twice the RCS of the payload.
2.  The rockets have a period that is about 0.2 minutes larger.
3.  The payloads have a more nearly circular orbit.

The following entries also appear:

 5731 71-120A  METEOR 1-10           CIS   102.5  81.3   916   838  14.9
 5732 71-120B  SL-3 R/B              CIS   102.1  81.3   874   842   5.9
 8826 71-120C  SL-3 DEB              CIS   100.8  81.2   807   785   2.6
 8827 71-120D  SL-3 DEB              CIS   102.0  81.3   860   842   .13
15344 71-120F  SL-3 DEB              CIS    96.0  81.2   572   559  .028

The A,B entries here do not match the normal pattern and the large RCS
of the C object indicates that a disruptive event occurred in the past.

I have observed 71 120B on several passes over the last few nights.
It shows a more or less regular pattern of brightness changes with
a 14 second/28 second/56 second period.  However, the actual brightness
of each maximum seems to vary, with some maxima relatively strong and
some almost non-existant.

In addition to this pattern, I have also seen "super flashes" to about
second magnitude.  These take only a few seconds to rise and fall, but
they are not "instantaneous" like some reflections from flat spots.
They have also appeared orangish to me.  These "super flashes" seem to
have a period of about 60 or 70 seconds.

So, of course, I propose that the B object is really the payload, not
the rocket, and that the payload is both rotating and tumbling.
The end-over-end tumble is causing a fundamental 14 second variation,
but the rotation is influencing what is seen at each tumble.
And when the rotation and tumble occur just right, then a set of
solar panels come into position to cause a "super flash".

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