RE: Ofeq 10 launched

From: Ted Molczan via Seesat-l <seesat-l_at_satobs.org>
Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2014 09:46:47 -0400
Jonathan McDowell wrote:

> Apologies for the incorrect subject on the previous email.
> I wrote:
> >  The Israeli radar satellite Ofeq-10 was launched from Palmachim at
> > 1915 UTC Apr 9 to a 600 km orbit presumably at around 142 degrees
> > inclination - since Space-Track has classified Israeli military
> > satellite TLEs, it's up to the hobbyist community to locate this one.
> > Ted, any chance of guessed TLEs?
> My own feeble attempt at an estimated TLE, based on launch at 1915 UTC
> and perigee raise at first apogee around 2004 UTC is
> 
> 1 39650U 14019A   14099.83611111 0.00000000 +00000-0 +00000-0 0    17
> 2 39650 141.8200 211.2300 0000000 307.4000 285.3000 14.89198295     9

I found a few news reports claiming a 600 km orbit with the inconsistent period of 99 min. My guess is that the only
reliable information is 600 km, and that it is more likely to be the very rough apogee of a not too circular orbit, say
400 x 590 km. Consider that Tecsar 1's initial orbit was 406 X 583 km.

Defense Update has this report, which says nothing about the orbit, but states launch time as 20:15 UTC:

http://defense-update.com/20140409_israel-launches-ofeq-10-spy-satellite.html

Assuming launch at 19:15 UTC, the orbit might look like this:

Ofeq 10 guess                                            401 X 592 km
1 70000U          14099.92446554  .00000000  00000-0  00000-0 0    02
2 70000 141.7700 211.7900 0139000  47.0000 314.6161 15.24000000    07

I can imagine it even lower, perhaps something like this:

Ofeq 10 guess                                            347 X 592 km
1 70000U          14099.92446553  .00000000  00000-0  00000-0 0    01
2 70000 141.7700 211.7900 0179000  47.0000 314.6161 15.33000000    01

If the launch was an hour later, then add 0.04166667 d to the epoch and 15.041 deg to the RAAN of the above TLEs.

Ted Molczan


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Received on Thu Apr 10 2014 - 08:47:43 UTC

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