Decay watch: 2000 Nov 29

From: Alan Pickup (alan@wingar.demon.co.uk)
Date: Wed Nov 29 2000 - 12:05:04 PST

  • Next message: Kurt Jonckheere: "93- 70 B = 22889 accelerating"

    Although I updated my Decay Watch page, and sent a corresponding message
    to SeeSat, prior to today's decay of Iridium 79, the SeeSat message has
    still not made it to the list. I have learned since that the ISP I used
    (appropriately, "Blueyonder") is investigating a spate of lost emails :(
    Meantime, apologies if it does turn up to confuse you - made even worse
    by the fact that it was erroneously dated "Nov 28" rather than Nov 29.
    
    "tum"bling no longer...
    
    
    Object: #25470 = 98- 51 D = Iridium 79
    
    Decay predictions:
    Source   Prediction made    Predicted decay at      Latitude Longitude
                   UTC                UTC                  deg      deg
    SpaceCom   Nov 29 07:58     Nov 29 09:52 +-2h        82.8 N   140.6 W
    SatEvo     Nov 29 19:35     Nov 29 09:23 -10+25m      0.0      79.8 E
    
    Final elset:
    Iridium 79 tum   4.0  1.8  0.0  6.0 d  6.0       145 x 135 km
    1 25470U 98051D   00334.33051487  .59650537 -58978-6  72949-3 0  8911
    2 25470  85.9560 289.1964 0007516 162.9988 197.1061 16.49707638124344
    
    Note: The final elset is very close indeed to the prediction I posted
    at 07:30 UTC, based on elsets to 05:01 - it showed the object running 
    only 0.3 sec late. I estimate that this decayed near the northbound 
    equator crossing at the end of this orbit. It might have survived a 
    little longer, but I doubt whether it could have still been in orbit 
    to sweep southwards across the USA from western Montana at 09:55 UTC 
    to Phoenix, Arizona, at 09:58. SpaceCom has still to post its final
    notice.
    
    
    Alan
    -- 
    Alan Pickup / COSPAR 2707:  55d53m48.7s N   3d11m51.2s W      156m asl
    Edinburgh  / SatEvo & elsets:    http://www.wingar.demon.co.uk/satevo/
    Scotland  / Decay Watch: http://www.wingar.demon.co.uk/satevo/dkwatch/
             *
    
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