potential for new geosync flasher
Philip Chien (kc4yer@amsat.org)
Tue, 22 Apr 1997 17:49:26 -0400
A GOES weather satellite is scheduled for launch on an Atlas rocket in the
next day or so. (Thursday if the weather suddenly gets better, more likely
than not Firday).
Since it isn't immediately needed it will be put in to a parking position
for the next couple of years.
The parking location will be 105 West, at geosync altitude but with a
slightly inclined orbit.
What's especially interesting is the spacecraft will be slowly spun for
attitude and thermal control to minimize the use of expendables.
The spacecraft will be spun on its Z-axis. The solar array will always
face the sun while the earth-monitoring instruments will always be pointed
away from the sun.
The body of the GOES spacecraft is similar to Superbird A. There's only
one solar array with two panel sections. To balance the single array
there's a long boom with a 'solar sail', a cone-shaped gold-foil covered
structure.
Check out the NOAA web pages for illustrations, and the NASA KSC public
affairs web page for prelaunch photos.
While it's solar arrays aren't as large as Superbird, there's still an
interesting potential for flashes. I talked to one of the NOAA managers
about this today and he's quite interested in this scenario and any
sighting reports.
Philip Chien [M1959.05.31/31.145//KC4YER@amsat.org]