On Sat, 23 Sep 2000, Paul Henney wrote:
> I've just downloaded the latest thirty.zip from Mike M's site and run it
> using satspy..it shows several references to Cosmos 1579 coolant.
> Could someone enlighten me as to what this is and what it would/will/may
> look like?
These objects are coolant which has been leaking from the nuclear power
units carried by the RORSATs. It has been detected in orbit over many
years, but USSPACECOM has only just decided to catalogue the larger
objects.
My understanding is that the largest objects are approximately spherical,
around 5 cm in diameter. As with debris from explosions, only the larger
items are catalogued and these spheres continue downwards in diameter to a
level where they cannot be detected easily by any means, if at all.
I have no information concerning the albedo of these spheres, so cannot
hazard a guess as to how easy an object they might be to view.
Phillip Clark
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Phillip S Clark 22 Winterbourne Close
Molniya Space Consultancy Hastings
Compiler/Publisher, Worldwide Satellite Launches E Sussex TN34 1XG
U.K.
Specialist in "space archeology" - the older and more obscure the more
interesting it is !
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sat Sep 23 2000 - 09:18:29 PDT