Re: satwk15 report from OIG

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D

I'm sort of a newbie to the list.  I have been subscribed to it for nearly a year, 
yet I have never posted.  I have a question about the satellite situation report 
that is very kindly posted by Mr.McCants:


> Internatl.                   Catalog Object Launch Period Incli- Apogee Perigee
> Designation  Name            Number  Source Date   Mins.  nation KM     KM
> 
> 1968-055E    DELTA 1 DEB     25270   US     04 Jul  147.4  120.8   4950     778
> 1993-014F    START 1 DEB     25284   CIS    25 Mar  101.4   75.8    970     681

Correct me if I wrong, but in the international dsignation, the first four numbers 
are the year, and the other three are the days in the year? If so, I guess thse 
object were luanched in 1968 and 1993 respectively and are both dead stages 
from spent rockets(by the way, what is Start 1?).  Now since this is under the 
category of newly added objects, does that mean these objects have been 
floating around in LEO for all this time without being tracked?



> 1989-089AF   COBE DEB        22770   US     18 Nov 1989 12 Feb 1998
> 1986-017MG   MIR DEB         25037   CIS    19 Feb 1986 24 Feb 1998
> 1994-029DZ   PEGASUS DEB     24078   US     19 May 1994 07 Mar 1998
> 1994-029RC   PEGASUS DEB     24399   US     19 May 1994 12 Mar 1998
> 1989-089AS   COBE DEB        22855   US     18 Nov 1989 25 Mar 1998
> 1998-018H    CZ-2C DEB       25269   PRC    25 Mar 1998 28 Mar 1998
> 1976-103F    COSMOS 860 DEB  19297   CIS    17 Oct 1976 02 Apr 1998
> 1989-089AK   COBE DEB        22774   US     18 Nov 1989 06 Apr 1998
> 1986-017MK   MIR DEB         25140   CIS    19 Feb 1986 06 Apr 1998
> 1998-013B    ARIANE 42P R/B  25238   ESA    27 Feb 1998 08 Apr 1998

Looking at this list, I see that some ojects have been flying around uselessly 
for many years.  Are they international agreements to keep this trash to a 
minimum?  I know its pretty neat to see  a tumbling booter from the back porch 
of my place, or while I am out backpacking, but as the larger constellations of 
sats get launched, there is gong to be an incrediable amount of trash up there.  
I'm sure I'm not the only person who has noticed this for some years now, but I 
had no idea that the COBE DEB, lauched back in 1989 is still floating around 
up there.  Also, what does the letters at the end of each international 
designation mean? 


thanks a heap!


Courtney Smith

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