RE: [SeeSat] Titan IVA/K-18 launch
Bjoern Gimle (bjorn@tt-tech.se)
Mon, 06 Oct 1997 11:18:40 +0100
RE: [HearSat] Titan IVA/K-18 launch
Ted Molczan (molczan@fox.nstn.ca):
>Vladimir,
>Thank you for posting the Titan IV launch information. I have only one
>problem with it: the inclination should be 68 deg, not 57 deg as stated.
>Is the Air Force playing games with us?
>At VAFB's latitude of 34.7 deg N, the 153 deg launch azimuth would produce
>the following orbital inclination:
>inc = acos(sin(AZ) * cos(lat)) = 68 degrees ...
I respect Ted's reasoning, but in case 57 IS correct the following
info from Vladimir's post support it :
A TLE from the given elements ( OK, Walter? ;-)> ) is:
Lacrosse 3 05:00 971010 683 x 427
1 97147U 97099 A 97283.21456000 .00020200 00000-0 34292-4 0 00
2 97147 56.9990 179.5810 0184600 160.9230 353.3590 15.04000000 07
It does pass within two km of the given insertion point, at 5:08:55 UT ?
Extended back in time it would be 5:04:44 at -121.9 / 34.61, which is
consistent with normal launch profiles, and puts the orbit plane very
close to Vandenberg at 05:00 UT
A 68 degree orbit through this point would pass 1.7 degrees east of
Vandenberg. (long.from node = ARCSIN(TAN(lat)/TAN(incl)) )
The 57 degree orbit does avoid mainland USA, Mexico (and S.America except
southern Chile/Argentina).
Could the initial 153 degree azimuth be to avoid local islands ?
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