Re: Possible rocket plume over Brazil

From: Michael R Thompson via Seesat-l <seesat-l_at_satobs.org>
Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2020 02:08:55 +0000
Backwards propagating from the first TLE (which came 4 hours after these observations) and simulating observations from Verê, the upper stage came within 5 arcminutes of the object in the first image around 40 seconds before the image was taken and within 8 arcminutes of the object in the second image around 39 seconds before the image was taken.

Given that the orbital plane lines up, I'd say that it is quite likely that this was the upper stage, and it just arrived around 40 seconds earlier than the back-propagated TLE predicts (which would be consistent with an object losing energy in the 4 hours between the observation and the published TLE).  The image below shows how the two observations line up exactly with the orbital plane.

It wasn't a deorbit burn, as that upper stage is still in orbit, but George is right, it looks a lot like venting.

https://imgur.com/a/ZlHLKoJ


Michael
________________________________
From: Seesat-l <seesat-l-bounces+thomp376=purdue.edu_at_satobs.org> on behalf of George Herbert via Seesat-l <seesat-l_at_satobs.org>
Sent: Thursday, July 2, 2020 8:06 PM
To: Marcelo Zurita <marcelozurita_at_gmail.com>; Seesat-l <seesat-l_at_satobs.org>
Subject: Re: Possible rocket plume over Brazil


That definitely looks like a rocket stage in vacuum either venting excess propellant or under power / motors burning.  Given apparently thrusting opposite to direction of travel I would guess deorbit burn or venting of stage after satellite released.

I don’t know offhand what the Chinese rocket did, vent or deorbit.

-George

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jul 2, 2020, at 4:38 PM, Marcelo Zurita via Seesat-l <seesat-l_at_satobs.org> wrote:
>
> Sorry. I just changed the permissions. Try again, please.
>
>
> Atenciosamente,
>
> Marcelo Zurita
> (83) 99926-1152
>
> APA - Associação Paraibana de Astronomia
> BRAMON - Rede Brasileira de Observação de Meteoros
> Asteroid Day Brasil - Coordenação Regional Nordeste
> SAB - Sociedade Astronômica Brasileira
>
>
>> Em qui., 2 de jul. de 2020 às 20:26, Gonzalo Blasco <gblasco_at_gmail.com>
>> escreveu:
>>
>> Ola Marcelo,
>>
>> In Google  drive options you can give read only options when sharing, and
>> getting the link. Now the video is not public. I cannot watch it
>>
>> Yours,
>> --
>> Gonzalo Blasco Gil
>>
>>
>> El jue., 2 de jul. de 2020 a la(s) 17:22, Marcelo Zurita via Seesat-l (
>> seesat-l_at_satobs.org) escribió:
>>
>>> A guy sent me a timelapse video of a possible rocket plume he recorded on
>>> June 23, at 02:40 UTC.
>>>
>>> He initially believed it was a comet, so he prepared a report with all
>>> detailed information about your images.
>>>
>>> I believe it was some rocket plume from China June 23 launch, but I not
>>> found this launch plan to confirm. What do You think about?
>>>
>>>
>>> https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/06/23/china-launches-final-beidou-navigation-satellite/
>>>
>>>
>>> Video:
>>>
>>> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bEIC22LylO_5BHuIgVpknaa6IDLticfa/view?usp=sharing
>>>
>>> Report with detailed data:
>>>
>>> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wT7LB9I3Ucxcgwb5rcM8G5LHvWy2qA_B/view?usp=sharing
>>>
>>> Atenciosamente,
>>>
>>> Marcelo Zurita
>>> (83) 99926-1152
>>>
>>> APA - Associação Paraibana de Astronomia
>>> BRAMON - Rede Brasileira de Observação de Meteoros
>>> Asteroid Day Brasil - Coordenação Regional Nordeste
>>> SAB - Sociedade Astronômica Brasileira
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Seesat-l mailing list
>>> http://mailman.satobs.org/mailman/listinfo/seesat-l
>>>
>>
> _______________________________________________
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Received on Thu Jul 02 2020 - 21:11:28 UTC

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