Re: HGS-1

Ron Lee (ronlee@pcisys.net)
Fri, 12 Jun 1998 20:28:13 -0600

I just sent a request for such as elset to STK.  However, they may not
provide it.  Since you work at Hughs, maybe you have some pull in getting
data...such as a post GEO insertion burn elset, along with the burn time.

Ron Lee



At 04:23 PM 6/12/98 -0700, you wrote:
>Although HGS-1 is not necessarily a visual satellite at this moment, I
>wonder if anyone has elements for it.  It was probably visual at perigee
>when it was called Asiasat3 and had a very elliptical orbit.  Anyway, HGS-1
>is the HS601HP that we tried to launch on a Proton launcher.  After the
>fourth stage of the launcher failed, the then named Asiasat3 ended up in a
>useless orbit.  It was written off until some bright people determined that
>if we did the right perigee burns, we could send the satellite around the
>moon, alter the orbital plane and achieve a somewhat usable GEO orbit after
>all.  The satellite, now known as HGS-1 was sent back to the moon again to
>achieve an even better orbit and is now heading back to earth for final
>orbital insertion.  The website http://www.stk.com/asiasat3/asiasat_now.cfm
>sort of tells you where HGS-1 is at any given time, but I'd like to track
>it with one of the tracking programs (hence the desire to get Keps). 
>
>By the way, I'm new at SeeSat-L so let me introduce myself.  I'm Bob
>Lawson, N6RW.  I live in Laguna Beach California and work at Hughes Space
>and Communications.  I am the responsible engineer for many of the
>spacecraft bus telemetry and command units and am part of the team
>developing the next generation Xenon Ion Propulsion System (XIPS) that will
>be used on our HS-702s.
>
>June is the time of the year where we get the coastal marine layer (clouds)
>every night, so I'm eating my heart out reading about all the great stuff
>you guys are seeing lately.
>
>Bob  N6RW
>rclawson@pacbell.net or rclawson@ccgate.hac.com
>
>