Re: Satellite deployed from Chinese Spaceplane

From: satcom ops via Seesat-l <seesat-l_at_satobs.org>
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 2020 09:57:52 +0100
As a heads up , the satellite should make an early morning radio pass 
over the UK [ south ] around 0720 local tomorrow morning ...I missed 
this morning's  pass :(


No vis passes here for quite a while.


Regards

John


On 18/09/2020 09:21, Bob Christy via Seesat-l wrote:
> I saw the R4UAB post.
> 
> One though crossed my mind was that this might be an analogue of the early Shenzhou orbital modules that were instrumented satellites in their own right.
> 
> In this case it might be an instrumented service module that maybe acted as an inspector to check
> 
> Hopefully visual observers will see this discussion as a 'heads-up' for when it becomes available for them to see.
> 
> If it is flashing/tumbling, that would indicate its mission is probably completed. Continued radio transmissions suggest it has solar cells.
> 
> Question - what is the radio fading/tumble rate and is it the same now as when first observed?
> 
> Regards
> Robert Christy
> 
>> On 18 Sep 2020, at 07:07, Scott Tilley via Seesat-l <seesat-l_at_satobs.org> wrote:
>>
>> Hi Bob
>>
>> You may be interested to know that 46395, 2020-063G was discovered by Russian radio amateur R4UAB a few days ago on 2280MHz.  The later is a coordinated frequency used by the Chinese manned space program, specifically SHENZHOU, TIANGONG and TIANZHOU.  Myself and others have confirmed the emissions are coming from this object via Doppler and radio tracking via a narrow beam width dish antenna. The emissions where 4MHz wide and unlike TT&C signals I've seen from other Chinese missions to date.  The emission appears to be present for entire orbit based on other reports.
>>
>> My observations of it where are of sufficient SNR that analysis of the data contents are presently underway.
>>
>> Significant to visual observers is the radio signal has a strong fading component to it that may indicate it is tumbling and confirmation from visual observers would be most welcome.  Visual observation window should be opening over the next few days for those not socked in by smoke and enjoy morning observations in the North Hemisphere...
>>
>> https://twitter.com/R4UAB/status/1305389123029676032
>>
>> https://twitter.com/coastal8049/status/1305921102997196800
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Scott Tilley
>>
>>
>>
>>> On 2020-09-17 4:16 a.m., Bob Christy via Seesat-l wrote:
>>> The object may have separated from the spaceplane earlier than suggested.
>>>
>>> The two may have been orbiting close together for some time, with the second object getting a separate identity only when it was sufficiently separated from the spaceplane to be detected in its own right.
>>>
>>> Before descent, the spaceplane lowered its orbit by about one kilometre. The new object was later catalogued in the spaceplane's original orbit. Its first element set was issued around three hours after the spaceplane landed but the first reliable set appeared around seven hours after that.
>>>
>>> This has precedents in the two Banxing inspector satellites released from Shenzhou 7 and Tiangong 2 respectively.
>>>
>>> Notes:
>>> https://www.zarya.info/2020#063
>>>
>>> Robert Christy
>>>
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-- 
Regards

John

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Received on Fri Sep 18 2020 - 03:58:29 UTC

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