An interesting report of what may well have been the #26539 re-entry
(see below). Also see my Decay Watch page for predictions for #26408.
_____________________________________________________________________
Object: #26408 = 00- 40 B = GPS 2R-5 Delta 2 r1
Decay predictions:
Source Prediction made Predicted decay at Latitude Longitude
UTC UTC deg deg
SpaceCom Oct 12 06:17 Oct 14 06:22 +-1d 14.9 N 102.0 E
SatEvo Oct 12 18:25 Oct 14 10:47 +-12h
Latest elset:
GPS 2R-5 Delta 2 r1 351 x 149 km
1 26408U 00040B 00286.51380792 .04894750 00000-0 65745-3 0 1714
2 26408 37.5472 72.2075 0152090 153.2961 207.6283 16.08785648 13215
Note: The latest elset shows this running 5 sec late against
yesterday's prediction.
_____________________________________________________________________
Object: #26539 = 00- 56 B = Cosmos 2372 Zenit rocket
Decay predictions (the final SpaceCom notice has appeared):
Source Prediction made Predicted decay at Latitude Longitude
UTC UTC deg deg
SpaceCom Oct 11 22:07 Oct 11 17:59 +-20m 13.8 S 29.3 E
SatEvo Oct 11 21:55 Oct 11 17:52 -15m+30m 0.0 23.6 E
Final elset:
C 2372 Zenit r 126 x 121 km
1 26539U 00056B 00285.71514216 .27748751 78275-5 13055-3 0 698
2 26539 64.7702 132.4183 0003974 14.4939 347.8732 16.56047801 2631
Note: The revised final elset shows this 101 sec early against the
prediction I posted on the 10th. I have not revised by final estimate
for the decay to have been near a southbound equator crossing over
central Africa. SpaceCom's final estimate puts it further S. In fact,
I have received a report via Claire Flanagan of the Johannesburg
Planetarium in South Africa of a sighting of a possible re-entry by a
pilot at 33,000 ft over Maseru, Lesotho, between 17:50 and 18:00 UTC.
The object concerned was in view for "3 to 5 minutes" (unsure) and was
seen to the NNE..."looked like something burning up, never seen anything
like it before". I am reasonably convinced that this was indeed the re-
entering #26539, though obviously a little further S even than
SpaceCom's estimate - Maseru is at 29.3 S, 27.5 E.
_____________________________________________________________________
Alan
--
Alan Pickup / COSPAR 2707: 55d53m48.7s N 3d11m51.2s W 156m asl
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 : Thu Oct 12 2000 - 12:24:21 PDT