Bruce MacDonald wrote: > Fascinating. The article mentions the launch on June 30, > 2005 of the final Titan IV from VAFB. I take it that this is > to be the next KH bird, presumably to replace USA 116. My guess is a KH, but to replace the western-plane bird, USA 129. USA 161 replaced USA 116 in the eastern-plane in 2001 October; USA 116 carries on in its extended mission. > If this next launch is to be Lacrosse 5, I shall be sorry to > see Lacrosse 2 go. Assuming Lacrosse 5's orbit will be 57 deg, which seems likely, then it is not a replacement for Lacrosse 2, which is in a 68 deg orbit. Lacrosse 4 was launched into a 68 deg orbit in 2000, yet Lacrosse 2 continues in orbit, suggesting extraordinary longevity. Indeed, the Lacrosses seem to be living up to Aviation Week and Space Technology's report of 1988 Nov 07, pg. 25, that "the technology involved is highly advanced, involving a multitude of sensors designed for an especially long life." Lacrosse 1 remained in orbit for 8 years and 3 months; Lacrosse 2 remains in orbit 13 years and 6 months after launch; Lacrosse 3 is approaching its 7th anniversary - excellent lifetimes for complex, presumably high-power, spacecraft. On the other hand, Lacrosse 2's life seems almost too good to be true, and it cannot be excluded that it died suddenly, before it could be de-orbited. The last hint of life I recall, occurred sometime between 2003 Sep 28 - Oct 03 UTC, when its altitude dropped slightly. It was unclear to me whether this was due to some action by the spacecraft, or nature. Ted Molczan ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe/Unsubscribe info, Frequently Asked Questions, SeeSat-L archive: http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
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