Cosmos near-hits

Bjoern Gimle (b_gimle@algonet.se)
Sat, 15 Feb 1997 10:38:28 +0100 (MET)

Here is an updated table of the mid-February encounters of Zenith rockets
(and some satellites)

Most of them are in similar orbits, one object slowly overtaking the other.
The second one, which I didn't notice in advance, was a near collision
at a 135 degree angle (in shadow, east of South Carolina) between
Cosmos 2333 rocket and Cosmos 2278, perhaps at 600 m distance !
<pre>
           UTC        USSPACECOM                               Range Elset age 
 2/13/1997  1:06:14.7 19650+23088 Cosmos 2278 r                 6.2     +1.08
 2/13/1997  8:18:41.8 23087+24298 Cosmos 2333 r                 0.6     +0.24
 2/13/1997 23:10:48.8 23088+16182 Cosmos 1697 r   2.5 10.4      7.7     +0.15
 2/16/1997 20:01:13.0 19650+16182 Cosmos 1697 r   2.5 10.4      2.7     +3.02
 2/17/1997  3:39:08.0 19650+16182 Cosmos 1697 r   2.5 10.4      5.8     +3.34
 2/17/1997 18:55:19.5 15334+16182 Cosmos 1697 r   2.5 10.4     11.2     +3.98
 2/17/1997 22:19:00.6 19650+15334 Cosmos 1603 r   2.0 10.4     23.2     +4.41
 2/22/1997  0:03:41.9 24297+23088 Cosmos 2278 r                 3.5    +10.04

Cosmos 1697 r will also approach #19649 Cosmos 1980 and its
own satellite in March, but times/ranges are uncertain :
 3/ 9/1997  3:43:24.1 19649+16182 Cosmos 1697 r   2.5 10.4      4.0    +23.34
 3/18/1997  5:42:05.8 16181+16182 Cosmos 1697 r   2.5 10.4      2.8    +32.42

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