Decay watch: September 26
Alan Pickup (alan@wingar.demon.co.uk)
Sun, 26 Sep 1999 19:52:16 +0100
There is another update to my Decay Watch page at
http://www.wingar.demon.co.uk/satevo/dkwatch/
Since writing yesterday's comments on the decay of #25903, the Foton 12
Soyuz rocket, I have had several negative reports from observers who
watched for this object during its ~01:35 UTC pass over the USA, yet saw
nothing. Some of these were better placed (ie closer to the track) than
Mike DiMuzio who reported a sighting of it at magnitude -4. Thanks
particularly to David Dunham, President, I.O.T.A., and Scott Degenhardt,
both of whom gave publicity to my warning on their own extensive mailing
lists.
It is also clear that SpaceCom has switched the identities of #25920 and
#25921, respectively the Ikonos Orbit Adjust Module and some unspecified
debris from the launch. The object that was identified as the Module
before epoch 99268.55 is now the debris, and vice versa. The decay
warnings issued on September 25 for the debris object must refer to what
is now identified as the Module. Although SpaceCom/OIG still has the
original warning posted for the "debris", I don't expect this to be
updated, at least until the real debris nears decay in about a month's
time. At present, I predict the decay of the Module at September 28
20:31 UTC +-12h.
Alan
--
Alan Pickup | COSPAR 2707: 55d53m48.7s N 3d11m51.2s W 156m asl
Edinburgh | Tel: +44 (0)131 477 9144 Fax: +44 (0)870 0520750
Scotland | SatEvo page: http://www.wingar.demon.co.uk/satevo/