Iridium 51 orbit adjustment

From: Rod Sladen (rodsladen@crosswinds.net)
Date: Fri Jan 26 2001 - 06:47:52 PST

  • Next message: Greg Roberts: "Observations 25 Jan 2001"

    I recently posted that there had been no orbital adjustments made to Iridium
    51 for a long time, in contrast to the other spare Iridium satellites.
    Howver, an elset emerged from OIG yesterday showing a negative drag, suggesting
    an orbital adjustment.
    
    IRIDIUM 51
    1 25262U 98018A   01025.54945517 -.00000729  00000-0 -22420-3 0  3796
    2 25262  86.4523 300.3305 0003376  91.5118 268.6363 14.42959152149409
    
    The previous elset was:
    IRIDIUM 51
    1 25262U 98018A   01024.30119710  .00001190  00000-0  34985-3 0  3786
    2 25262  86.4427 300.8451 0004156  52.4757 307.6822 14.42982712149223
    
    I wonder if this signifies that Iridium Satellite LLC or Boeing are checking
    that it is still controllable.
    This would seem to indicate that Iridium 51 is definitely regarded as a spare,
    in which case Iridium 2, Iridium 69 and Iridium 73 are, by elimination, confirmed
    as failed.
    -- 
    Rod Sladen, Beeston, Nottinghamshire, UK, 52.923N, 1.219W
    
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