NROL-52 pre-launch elements

From: Ted Molczan via Seesat-l <seesat-l_at_satobs.org>
Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2017 10:08:08 -0400
NROL-52 is scheduled for launch on 2017 Oct 14 at 07:31 UTC, from Cape
Canaveral, aboard an Atlas V-421.

Live coverage of the launch will be available here:

https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/10/02/av075_journal/

The payload probably is the next GEO SDS (Satellite Data System) satellite.

The last launch in the series was NROL-61 in July 2016, from Cape Canaveral
on an Atlas V-421. Its payload is known as USA 269 (16047A/ 41724).

NROL-52's NOTAM co-ordinates are very close to those of NROL-61, which
suggests that it will follow a similar trajectory.

Assuming launch at the above time, and a trajectory identical to that of
NROL-61, these would be the approximate initial orbits of payload and
Centaur:

LEO parking orbit                                       190 X 1099 km
1 76401U 76401A   17287.33199076  .00000000  00000-0  00000-0 0    02
2 76401  28.7000 325.3283 0647000   0.0000 179.9000 14.76550000    04

Payload                                               1108 X 35806 km
1 76402U 76402A   17287.35833335  .00000000  00000-0  00000-0 0    09
2 76402  18.6773 325.3039 6985581 178.5185  21.1059  2.21873127    06

Centaur de-orbit                                      -226 X 28051 km
1 76403U 76403A   17287.35833349  .00000000  00000-0  00000-0 0    06
2 76403  18.8938 323.3070 6967986 166.7795  29.3374  3.00488254    01

The above elements are based on the TLEs I derived from early observations
of NROL-61 by Paul Camilleri and Scott Tilley:

http://satobs.org/seesat/Jul-2016/0142.html

The epoch of the payload and Centaur TLEs corresponds to the approximate
time of the Centaur's MES3 burn: about MET 01h05m (08:36 UTC).

The Centaur's re-entry impact zone is an approximately 160 x 600 km
rectangular region, centred near 12 N, 155 W - about 750 km south of Hawaii.

Ted Molczan


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Received on Thu Oct 12 2017 - 09:09:00 UTC

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