It appears that the launch window will start on Wednesday Oct 12 UTC, one day sooner than originally reported, perhaps in an effort to outrun forecast bad weather later in the week. The most frequently rumoured launch time now is 01:00 UTC, but I have not given up on 03:00 UTC, so I have generated search elements for both times. Section 1 has the 01:00 UTC launch elements; Section 2 has the 03:00 UTC elements. Either launch time will result in visibility over much of the world between about 50 N and 50 S latitude. Roughly speaking, the northern hemisphere will have morning visibility; the southern hemisphere will have evening visibility. Use the search elements to determine your observing prospects. Note that the zero decay terms of the circularized Shenzhou elements are intentional; past missions made a number of small manoeuvres throughout their flight, that essentially negated the effects of drag, apparently to achieve a nearly exactly repeating ground track every 31 revolutions. 1. Launch on 2005 Oct 12 at 01:00 UTC 1.1 Elliptical Parking Orbit until 2005 Oct 12 at 07:53 UTC The spacecraft and rocket body will be in nearly same orbit for the first approx 6 h and 53 m after launch. Below are search elsets for both. Shenzhou 6 r 15.5 3.4 0.0 4.4 d 1 70601U 70600B 05285.08931662 .00809611 00000-0 60000-3 0 09 2 70601 42.4153 27.4814 0102545 130.0626 230.9292 16.03716253 07 Shenzhou 6 7.8 2.5 0.0 5.4 d 1 70600U 70600A 05285.08933035 .00794136 00000-0 60000-3 0 09 2 70600 42.4153 27.4814 0106040 130.0626 230.9292 16.02866600 01 The rocket's apogee will be nearly 5 km lower than Shenzhou's, as a result of its separation manoeuvre upon orbital insertion. Therefore, Shenzhou will trail a short distance behind its rocket. 1.2 Circularized Orbit after 2005 Oct 12 at 07:53 UTC Shenzhous 1, 3, 4 and 5 manoeuvred to raise their perigee as they passed through apogee for the 5th time. Shenzhou 1 raised its perigee by only 8 km; Shenzhous 3, 4 and 5 raised it more than 130 km, to nearly circularize their orbit, and Shenzhou 6 is expected to do the same. Approx 6 h and 53 m after launch, Shenzhou 6 should be in this orbit: Shenzhou 6 7.8 2.5 0.0 5.4 d 1 70600U 70600A 05285.33849619 .00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 02 2 70600 42.4207 25.8822 0002833 248.3475 111.7085 15.78579562 08 2. Launch on 2005 Oct 12 at 03:00 UTC 2.1 Elliptical Parking Orbit until 2005 Oct 12 at 09:53 UTC The spacecraft and rocket body will be in nearly same orbit for the first approx 6 h and 53 m after launch. Below are search elsets for both. Shenzhou 6 r 15.5 3.4 0.0 4.4 d 1 70601U 70600B 05285.17264995 .00809611 00000-0 60000-3 0 07 2 70601 42.4153 57.5635 0102545 130.0626 230.9292 16.03716253 02 Shenzhou 6 7.8 2.5 0.0 5.4 d 1 70600U 70600A 05285.17266368 .00794136 00000-0 60000-3 0 07 2 70600 42.4153 57.5635 0106040 130.0626 230.9292 16.02866600 06 The rocket's apogee will be nearly 5 km lower than Shenzhou's, as a result of its separation manoeuvre upon orbital insertion. Therefore, Shenzhou will trail a short distance behind its rocket. 2.2 Circularized Orbit after 2005 Oct 12 at 09:53 UTC Shenzhous 1, 3, 4 and 5 manoeuvred to raise their perigee as they passed through apogee for the 5th time. Shenzhou 1 raised its perigee by only 8 km; Shenzhous 3, 4 and 5 raised it more than 130 km, to nearly circularize their orbit, and Shenzhou 6 is expected to do the same. Approx 6 h and 53 m after launch, Shenzhou 6 should be in this orbit: Shenzhou 6 7.8 2.5 0.0 5.4 d 1 70600U 70600A 05285.42182953 .00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 03 2 70600 42.4207 55.9643 0002833 248.3475 111.7085 15.78579562 03 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe/Unsubscribe info, Frequently Asked Questions, SeeSat-L archive: http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
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