Here are a couple of possible parking orbits, assuming launch on 2004 Aug 27 at
23:06 UTC:
191 X 323
1 72000U 04241.01012732 .00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 09
2 72000 58.4289 226.6574 0100000 55.0000 235.6815 16.08708850 03
193 X 416
1 72000U 04241.01012731 .00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 08
2 72000 58.4281 226.6613 0167000 110.0637 179.6650 15.91566646 00
The first assumes that perigee occurs near the point of Centaur MECO1 (Main
Engine Cut-off #1), i.e. orbital insertion; the second assumes that apogee
occurs near Centaur MES2 (Main Engine Start #2), the start of the Centaur's
second and final burn.
The epoch of both corresponds to MES2, 68 min 35 s after launch, which I believe
will result in a transfer orbit to a Molniya orbit, very roughly like this:
414 X 39957
1 72000U 04241.01012733 .00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 00
2 72000 58.4281 226.6613 7445000 290.0637 0.0000 2.00600000 00
I expect the payload to manoeuvre at high altitude to change the inclination to
approximately 63.4 deg, which will also change the RAAN. Also, I suspect that
the final argument of perigee will be closer to 270 deg than 290 deg, but I do
not know which manoeuvre would bring that about.
There is a strong probability that today's launch will be delayed due to bad
weather. Tomorrow's forecast is worse.
The launch window is planar; I expect it to arrive about 4.6 min earlier per day
of any launch delay.
Ted Molczan
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