Re: 96 19C and GPS "C" Objects
JAY RESPLER (jrespler@injersey.com)
Thu, 11 Apr 1996 01:37:26 -0400 (EDT)
> For a while now I've been interested in trying to catch any member of a
> family of Delta II motors that are used to place the Global Positional
> Satellites (GPS). My interest was rekindled with the recent launch
> of GPS BIIA-25 (96 19A, 23833).
>
> These motors are in highly eccentric transfer orbits and have very low
> perigees. I reasoned that if I could see one near perigee that it would
> be near enough to be visible and would cross the sky at high speed.
> If you live too far north, there's always the other end of the orbit.
> Maybe someone with a telescope might try for an at or near-apogee
> observation?
I haven't looked for these rockets in transfer orbit, but I have followed
serveral of the rockets that are in high circular orbit, as well as the GPS
sats themselves. Try for those next. They're about mag 11.
--
JRespler@InJersey.com or Jay.Respler@bytewise.org
Satellite Tracker * Early Typewriter Collector
Freehold, New Jersey