Re: mystery object....1991VG

BahlsD@aol.com
Sun, 5 Sep 1999 19:10:04 EDT 

Jim,
  Any specifics on which Apollo missions the Saturn V SIVB stages left in 
high Earth orbit were from?  It might allow some "back of the envelope" 
trajectory propagations to be done to see what the (general?) specifics of 
the resulting perturbed heliocentric orbit might be.
  Also, do you know where the list of manmade heliocentric orbit objects 
might be made available?
   TIA, and sorry if this is a little bit off topic.
Cheers,
Daryl Bahls


In a message dated 99-09-05 17:26:31 EDT, Jim Scotti wrote:

<< Subj:     Re: mystery object....1991VG
 Date:  99-09-05 17:26:31 EDT
 From:  jscotti@LPL.Arizona.EDU (Jim Scotti)
 To:    satcom@cybase.co.uk (John locker)
 CC:    seesat-l@blackadder.lmsal.com
 
 Hi John,
    As the discoverer of said object, I'll give you the brief summary (more
 can be found by visiting the list archives as this object has come up a
 few times in the past).  As you can see from the circular that you quoted,
 1991 VG was discovered by me on Nov. 6, 1991.  

[deletia]

 I think the speculation that it is  manmade is only that -
 the probability that we would find such an object
 is rather low considering the number of things we've ejected onto
 heliocentric orbits.  1991 VG made an approach to the Earth's vicinity in
 1973 or 1974 and before that was before Sputnik, so there's one window of
 opportunity for a launch. 

[deletia]

 I personally believe it's an asteroid as the likelyhood
 is much higher, but if it's man-made, I think it's more likely to be one
 of the Saturn V SIVB stages left in high Earth orbit during Apollo (there
 were 2, I think that weren't impacted on the moon or ejected directly into
 solar orbit), and a few years perturbations would be just about right to
 eject it into solar orbit.  

     BTW, Back at that time, I was sent a list of the man-made objects in
 heliocentric orbit and I was surprised at just how many objects were on
 that list. Besides active spacecraft (or formerly active...), there are
 many rocket stages.  Lots of historically significant objects out there to
 be retrieved and put in museums someday! 
 
 Jim.
  >>