MSTI-3 orbit change and decay prediction

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The orbit of MSTI-3 was changed on December 2, between the epochs of
these elsets:
MSTI-3                                           428 x 416 km
1 23868U 96031A   97336.09313099  .00008415  00000-0  16133-3 0  2525
2 23868  97.1122 163.4724 0009401  29.9589 330.2186 15.48205076 87190
MSTI-3                                           416 x 226 km
1 23868U 96031A   97336.47474606  .00132246  77774-5  27748-3 0  2373
2 23868  97.0896 163.8474 0142327  29.6928 331.2344 15.83364721 87258

The effect is to lower the perigee and, unless the orbit is changed
again, to bring its decay forward from 1999-2000 to about 1998 January
24 by my calculation. Incidentally, no less than eight different elsets
were issued for a single equator crossing later on the day of the orbit
change (epoch 97336.98) - is this a record?

SeeSaters will recall that this was the target for tests of the US
Army's Mid-Infra-Red Advanced Chemical Laser during October.

The latest elset for this object is:
MSTI-3                                           408 x 225 km
1 23868U 96031A   97340.26473253  .00225913  19379-4  45105-3 0  2526
2 23868  97.0870 167.7693 0137294  14.9475 345.5846 15.84994971 87855

Alan
-- 
 Alan Pickup | COSPAR site 2707:   55d53m48.7s N   3d11m51.2s W    156m asl
 Edinburgh   | Home:      alan@wingar.demon.co.uk       +44 (0)131 477 9144
 Scotland    | SatEvo satellite page: http://www.wingar.demon.co.uk/satevo/

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