NROL-52 is scheduled for launch on 2017 Oct 15 at 07:28 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 17288.32990744 .00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 03 2 76401 28.7000 325.5619 0647000 0.0000 179.9000 14.76550000 09 Payload 1108 X 35806 km 1 76402U 76402A 17288.35625003 .00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 01 2 76402 18.6773 325.5375 6985581 178.5185 21.1059 2.21873127 01 Centaur de-orbit -226 X 28051 km 1 76403U 76403A 17288.35625017 .00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 08 2 76403 18.8938 323.5406 6967986 166.7795 29.3374 3.00488254 06 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 (08:33 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 _______________________________________________ Seesat-l mailing list http://mailman.satobs.org/mailman/listinfo/seesat-lReceived on Sat Oct 14 2017 - 09:13:57 UTC
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